Vacuum cleaners and silencer units for vacuum cleaners

Abstract

To provide a vacuum cleaner capable of improving a use environment such as easiness of conversation.SOLUTION: The vacuum cleaner for cleaning by sucking inlet air containing dust comprises: a cleaner body 1; a suction port for sucking inlet air according to a suction force; an extension tube which is connected with the suction port and through which the sucked inlet air flows; an electric blower 40 which is housed in the cleaner body and generates the suction force; a motor which is housed in the cleaner body and drives the electric blower 40; a storage battery 30 which is mounted to the cleaner body and supplies power to the motor; a connection port which is provided in the cleaner body and connected with the extension tube to allow the inlet air to flow therethrough; and a silencing part 60 which when the inlet air having flowed in from the connection port flows, reduces the noise of the vacuum cleaner. The connection port, the electric blower 40, the storage battery 30, and the silencing part 60 are arranged in order from an upstream side in the circulation direction of the inlet air, which improves voice intelligibility of noise generated by the vacuum cleaner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a technique for reducing noise in a vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric vacuum cleaners clean floors and other surfaces by sucking in (inhaling) dust-laden air. This suction creates noise. This noise is caused by the operating sound of the electric blower or motor, the vibration of the electric blower or motor, the sound transmitted through the vacuum cleaner body, and the airflow noise caused by turbulence generated by the collision of airflows during intake and exhaust. This noise not only annoys users and makes conversation difficult, but also causes a nuisance to neighboring residents. Therefore, measures to reduce the noise of electric vacuum cleaners have been implemented.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric blower that includes a soundproof case that covers an electric motor and a fan case and has an exhaust port, and the soundproof case has an exhaust passage inside it with sound-absorbing material on the inner surface that guides the exhaust flow from the electric motor to the exhaust port, and has corners in the exhaust passage where the sound-absorbing material is arranged with an air layer formed between the corners and the airflow collision surface of the corners.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a vacuum cleaner that has a silencer pipe that discharges air from an electric blower to the outside. This silencer pipe is long to the exhaust port and has a sound-absorbing material inside, so the high-speed exhaust air flow is gradually slowed down by the muffler effect of the silencer pipe, and the exhaust noise is also reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-100840 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-34861 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When people go about their daily lives, they converse. However, noise makes conversation difficult. Therefore, to maintain and improve the ease of conversation, it is necessary to consider the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) in noise.

[0007] However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not take SII into consideration by suppressing sounds in a certain frequency band. Therefore, even though Patent Documents 1 and 2 reduce the operating noise of the vacuum cleaner itself, the noise remains so loud that it is difficult for users to hear conversations. Patent Document 2 also has two sound-absorbing structures to address two types of noise: motor-induced noise and airflow noise, which may result in the appliance itself becoming larger. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 uses a camber type silencer, and the length of the sound-absorbing pipe is sufficiently long, which may result in noise such as motor noise falling outside the frequency range that is effective in silencing the noise.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the noise of the vacuum cleaner in order to improve the usage environment, such as making it easier to have a conversation, and to improve convenience for the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, in this invention, in an electric vacuum cleaner in which the connection port of the vacuum cleaner body, the electric blower, and the storage battery are arranged in the direction of the flow of intake air, a sound absorbing section or sound absorbing unit is provided downstream of the flow direction of the storage battery, thereby improving the speech intelligibility (SII) of the noise generated by the electric vacuum cleaner.

[0010] A more specific aspect of the present invention is a vacuum cleaner that cleans by sucking in intake air containing dust, The vacuum cleaner has a stick shape,a vacuum cleaner body, a suction port that draws in the intake air in response to suction force, an extension tube that is connected to the suction port and through which the intake air flows, an electric blower that is housed in the vacuum cleaner body and generates the suction force, a motor that is housed in the vacuum cleaner body and drives the electric blower, a storage battery that is attached to the vacuum cleaner body and supplies power to the motor, a connection port that is provided in the vacuum cleaner body and connects to the extension tube and through which the intake air flows, and a sound-absorbing unit that reduces noise made by the vacuum cleaner when the intake air that has flowed in from the connection port flows, the connection port, the electric blower, the storage battery, and the sound-absorbing unit are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the flow direction of the intake air. the muffling section has a hollow structure and includes a connection section having a connection port through which the intake air flows, a main body section downstream of the connection section in the flow direction of the intake air, and a discharge section downstream of the main body section in the flow direction of the intake air, the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection section and the discharge section being the same, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main body section being larger than the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection section and the discharge section, the flow path length of the main body section being 100 mm or less, and the cross-sectional area ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main body section to the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection section and the discharge section being 16 times or more, The vacuum cleaner enables improvement of the speech intelligibility (SII) of noise generated by the vacuum cleaner.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a silencer unit for a vacuum cleaner that is detachable from a vacuum cleaner that cleans by sucking in intake air containing dust, comprising: The vacuum cleaner has a stick shape, a noise reduction unit for the vacuum cleaner, the noise reduction unit being connected to the vacuum cleaner and having an inlet through which the intake air flows and a main body through which the intake air flowing in from the inlet flows, the vacuum cleaner comprising: a vacuum cleaner main body; a suction port that draws in the intake air in response to the suction force; an extension tube that connects to the suction port and through which the intake air flows; an electric blower that is housed in the vacuum cleaner main body and generates suction force; a motor that is housed in the vacuum cleaner main body and drives the electric blower; a storage battery that is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body and supplies power to the motor; and a connection port that is provided on the vacuum cleaner main body and connects to the extension tube and through which the intake air flows, the connection port, the electric blower, and the storage battery being arranged in this order from upstream in the flow direction of the intake air, and the noise reduction unit for the vacuum cleaner being installed downstream in the flow direction of the storage battery, The air intake passage has a hollow structure and includes a connection part having the inlet and a discharge part downstream of the main body part in the flow direction of the intake air, the main body part is provided downstream of the connection part in the flow direction of the intake air, the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection part and the discharge part are the same, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main body part is larger than the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection part and the discharge part, the flow path length of the main body part is 100 mm or less, and the cross-sectional area ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main body part to the flow path cross-sectional areas of the connection part and the discharge part is 16 times or more. This silencer unit for a vacuum cleaner enables improvement in the speech intelligibility (SII) of the noise generated by the vacuum cleaner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, noise reduction can be achieved that can improve the environment in which electric vacuum cleaners are used. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention is stored in a stick state on a charging stand. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner body according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the silencing function in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the noise reduction effect of a noise reduction section / unit in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and insertion loss IL when L2=70 mm in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and insertion loss IL when L2=18 mm in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner body in a first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner body in a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the cleaner body in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a system configuration diagram of a cleaning system in a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, a vacuum cleaner is targeted, and by providing the vacuum cleaner with a silencing function, SII is improved or enhanced. To achieve this silencing function, this embodiment uses a silencing section provided in the vacuum cleaner or a silencing unit for the vacuum cleaner that is detachable from the vacuum cleaner (hereinafter referred to as a silencing section / unit).

[0015] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electric vacuum cleaner 100, which is the subject of an embodiment, is stored in a charging base in a stick state. The electric vacuum cleaner 100 is composed of a vacuum cleaner main body 1, a vacuum cleaner head 10, a handle portion 12, and an extension tube 20. The electric vacuum cleaner 100 can be changed into various usage states, such as a handheld state and a stick state, for cleaning. The charging base 70 in which the electric vacuum cleaner 100 is stored stores the electric vacuum cleaner 100 in a stick state, and is composed of a base member 71, three stand members 72, and a holder member 73.

[0016] In the electric vacuum cleaner 100, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is placed on a holder member 73 so that the handle portion 12 and the switch portion 12a face forward. In the charging base 70, the holder member 73 is adapted to receive an output plug of an AC adapter for charging the storage battery 30 attached to the electric vacuum cleaner 100. When the electric vacuum cleaner 100 is set on the charging base 70, the output plug is connected to the input jack of the electric vacuum cleaner 100, enabling charging.

[0017] Furthermore, the holder member 73 has a holding portion (recess) that engages with an engaging portion of the extension tube 20. This allows the extension tube 20 to be stored compactly, as shown in FIG. 1. This allows the charging stand 70 itself to be configured without any electrical components, thereby reducing costs and improving productivity. Also, since the presence or absence of the stand member 72 does not affect the electrical connection, product reliability can be ensured.

[0018] Furthermore, when the electric vacuum cleaner 100 is operating, that is, when cleaning is being performed, dust-containing air flows from the suction port of the vacuum cleaner head 10 through the extension tube 20 to the vacuum cleaner main body 1. The dust then accumulates in a dust case 11 provided in the vacuum cleaner main body 1. For this reason, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is provided with a suction mechanism such as an electric blower 40. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is provided with a silencing function. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 will now be described.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body 1 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner body 1 includes a dust case 11, a handle 12, a main body 13, and a storage section 14. The main body 13 is connected to an extension tube 20 and includes a connection port 13a through which the drawn air flows. The dust case 11 is provided on the air flow path and collects dust contained in the air drawn in via the connection port 13a. The handle 12 is held by a user and includes a switch 12a for operating the vacuum cleaner 100. The storage section 14 includes various mechanisms for generating suction force on the air and an exhaust port 15. The various mechanisms of the storage section 14 specifically include a storage battery 30 serving as a power source and an electric blower 40 (not shown) that includes a motor and fins that receive power from the storage battery 30.

[0020] Here, the air flow path and internal structure of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 that is the subject of this embodiment. Here, "side" refers to the left-right direction in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, intake air drawn in through connection port 13a flows in the direction indicated by the arrow. That is, the intake air flows from connection port 13a through dust case 11 to storage section 14 and is exhausted from exhaust port 15. Then, in storage section 14, the intake air passes through filter 50 and flows through electric blower 40. It is then exhausted from exhaust port 15. For this reason, connection port 13a, electric blower 40, and storage battery 30 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the flow direction of the intake air.

[0021] In this embodiment, SII is improved by providing a muffler / unit downstream of the flow direction of intake air from the vacuum cleaner body 1. That is, the muffler / unit is provided on the right side in Fig. 3. The muffler / unit is also provided downstream of the electric blower 40 in the flow path of intake air, on the exhaust side.

[0022] Here, we will explain SII. Generally, noise loudness is evaluated using A-weighted sound pressure level (dBA). However, when it comes to the operating noise of an electric vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to evaluate not only the loudness of the noise itself, but also how that noise affects speech, such as conversation, in a noisy environment. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate noise loudness using SII, which can take these factors into consideration. SII takes a value between 0 and 1, and the higher the value, the higher the speech intelligibility. An SII of 0.45 or less is considered poor, and an SII of 0.75 or more is considered good.

[0023] Next, the principle and structure of the muffling section / unit will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the muffling function in this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the flow direction of intake air in the hollow structure is the left-right direction in the drawing. Therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area is different in the flow direction of the intake air (S1 and S2). As shown in FIG. 4, generally, at a location where the cross-sectional area changes, in addition to transmitted sound, reflected sound is generated in response to incident sound, resulting in noise attenuation. The larger the value of the cross-sectional area ratio m = S2 / S1, the greater the sound attenuation effect. In other words, the muffling effect also increases. Note that for this cross-sectional area ratio m, it is desirable to use the minimum cross-sectional area as S1 in the muffling section / unit and the maximum cross-sectional area as S2. However, a representative value such as the average cross-sectional area of ​​each portion may also be used.

[0024] In this embodiment, a muffling section / unit having a structure utilizing this principle is used. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the muffling effect of the muffling section / unit in this embodiment. Of these, Fig. 5(a) is a diagram schematically illustrating noise measurement when a muffling section / unit is not used. That is, in Fig. 5(a), a microphone 300 is installed so that sound (noise) is transmitted directly from a speaker 200, which is a sound source. Also, Fig. 5(b) is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a muffling section / unit and noise measurement when this is used. That is, in Fig. 5(b), a microphone 300 is installed so that sound (noise) is transmitted from the speaker 200 via a muffling section 60.

[0025] Here, the muffling section 60 has a hollow structure and includes a connection section 60-1 having a connection port through which intake air flows in, a main body section 60-2 having a relatively large flow path cross-sectional area downstream of the connection section 60-1, and an exhaust section 60-3 having an exhaust port further downstream through which the intake air is exhausted. In other words, the muffling section 60 has a hollow structure and is composed of multiple sections with different flow path cross-sectional areas. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional areas of the connection section 60-1 and the exhaust section 60-3 are set to different values ​​as S1 and S3, but they may also be the same value. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection section 60-1 and the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body section 60-2 may be set to different values.

[0026] Also, at least one of the connection part 60-1 and the discharge part 60-3 may be omitted. In particular, if both are omitted, it is desirable to provide the vacuum cleaner main body 1 with a configuration corresponding to the connection part 60-1 and / or the discharge part 60-3. In particular, if a silencing unit that is detachable from the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is used as the silencing part / unit, this can be configured as the main body part 60-2 alone. Note that the silencing unit basically has the same structure as the silencing part 60, but it is desirable for it to have a detachment mechanism for attaching it to and detaching it from the vacuum cleaner main body 1. The cross-sectional area ratio m is S2 / S1, but S2 / S3 is also good.

[0027] The attenuation effect (sound deadening effect) in this embodiment can be evaluated by measuring the noise level with and without the sound deadening section / unit, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). If the sound pressure without the sound deadening section / unit is LA0 as shown in Figure 5(a) and the sound pressure with the sound deadening section / unit is LA1 as shown in Figure 5(b), the insertion loss IL, which indicates the effect of the sound deadening structure, can be expressed as LA0-LA1. Here, the frequency at which the insertion loss becomes large changes by changing the flow path length L2 of the main body 60-2.

[0028] This change will now be explained. Fig. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and insertion loss IL when L2 = 70 mm. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and insertion loss IL when L2 = 18 mm. For example, in Fig. 6, the insertion loss IL peaks at about 1200 Hz, while in Fig. 7, the insertion loss IL peaks at about 1500 Hz.

[0029] As described above, sound pressure at a predetermined frequency can be reduced by changing the flow path length L2 of the main body 60-2. Therefore, the flow path length L2 is set to suppress sounds in the 1000 Hz to 5000 Hz frequency range, which generally affects the clarity of conversation. Specifically, L2 must be set within 100 mm. Furthermore, to improve SII through the attenuation effect, it is desirable to set the cross-sectional area ratio m of the muffling section to the unit (ratio between sections) to 16 times or more. This allows SII to escape from the poor sound.

[0030] This concludes the description of this embodiment, and below, examples that are more specific aspects of this embodiment will be described. [Example]

[0031] 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the cleaner body 1 in Example 1. Fig. 8A is a partial cross-sectional view of the side of the cleaner body 1 in Example 1, and Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the cleaner body 1 in Example 1 taken along line AA.

[0032] In Fig. 8(a), a silencing section 60 is added to the vacuum cleaner main body shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 5(b), the structure of the silencing section 60 includes a connection section 60-1, a main body section 60-2, and an exhaust section 60-3. The silencing section 60 is provided behind the storage battery 30, that is, downstream in the flow path of intake air, with the exhaust port 15 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 as its inlet. A filter 50 is also provided behind the dust case 11.

[0033] In this embodiment, the exhaust port 15 and the inlet of the vacuum cleaner body 1 are used, but this embodiment is not limited to this, and the exhaust port of the silencing unit 60 may be used as the exhaust port 15 of the vacuum cleaner body 1. By arranging the silencing unit 60 in this manner, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the electric vacuum cleaner 100 or the vacuum cleaner body 1 in the width direction, while suppressing the operating noise and improving SII. Also, in this embodiment, the silencing unit 60 is provided on the outside of the case body of the vacuum cleaner body 1, but it may be provided inside the case body, or a part of it may be provided on the outside of the case body. Furthermore, the silencing unit 60 may be configured as an integral part of the vacuum cleaner body 1.

[0034] In addition, in FIG. 8(b), the exhaust port 15 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 faces outward from the case body (downward arrow in the figure), and the connection port of the connection part 60-1 also faces the case body. The main body part 60-2 is provided to connect to this. However, the exhaust port 15 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 may also be provided facing rearward. In this case, the connection part 60-1 faces downstream in the air flow direction. This configuration is similar to that in Examples 2 and 3 described below. Note that the connection part 60-1 and the exhaust part 60-3 are omitted. This is also true in FIG. 9(b) described below.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, gaps between parts of the case body of the vacuum cleaner body 1 are filled to improve the airtightness of the vacuum cleaner body 1. The details are explained below. The case body of the vacuum cleaner body 1 is made up of multiple parts and has many gaps. As a result, noises such as operating sounds leak through these gaps. In order to reduce or prevent the leakage of these noises, it is desirable to have a configuration that seals the gaps and ensures the airtightness of the vacuum cleaner body 1. For this reason, in this embodiment, it is desirable to fit sealing members into gaps inside the vacuum cleaner body 1, such as those of the motor and storage battery 30. Alternatively, it is desirable to manufacture the vacuum cleaner body 1 with as few parts as possible.

[0036] To further reduce noise, sound-absorbing material may be incorporated into the sound-absorbing section 60. However, the sound-absorbing material must be a fiber or open-cell type that allows air to enter. The sound-absorbing material can prevent the intake air from colliding with the edge of the sound-absorbing section 60, and is expected to have a rectifying effect. If the material is a fiber or open-cell type, the intake air entering through the exhaust port 15 will not experience pressure loss and will also be less likely to affect suction performance.

[0037] This concludes the description of this embodiment, but as mentioned above, the muffling section 60 can be replaced with a detachable muffling unit. This also applies to the other embodiments described below. [Example]

[0038] Example 2 is an example in which the silencing section 60 is provided so as to cover the entire case body of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 in Example 2. Of these, FIG. 9(a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the side of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 in Example 1, and FIG. 9(b) is a B-B cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 in Example 2. This configuration differs from Example 1 in that the silencing section 60 (particularly the main body section 60-2) is provided from the exhaust port 15 to the rear of the storage battery 30 (not shown) so as to cover the case body from the outside. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to provide the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main body section 60-2 without significantly increasing the front-to-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 compared to conventional examples. This concludes the description of Example 2. [Example]

[0039] Next, Example 3 is an example in which the shape of the discharge portion 60-3 is changed. Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the side of the cleaner body 1 in Example 3. In Examples 1 and 2, the discharge direction of the discharge unit 60-3 is to the right in the figure (the direction of intake air flow). In this case, there is a risk that the exhaust air may directly hit the user of the vacuum cleaner 100. Therefore, in Example 3, the discharge unit 60-3 is bent. Note that the bending direction and angle are not limited to the direction shown in the figures and can be set to various directions and angles. In addition, the bending direction and angle may be configured to be flexibly changed by providing a rotation function to the bellows or the discharge unit 60-3. According to Example 3, when cleaning, the user can clean while avoiding the exhaust air from the vacuum cleaner 100. Note that in this Example, the connection unit 60-1 and the main body unit 60-2 have the same structures as those in Example 2, but they may also be used. This concludes the description of Example 3. [Example]

[0040] In Examples 1 to 3, noise is mitigated using the silencing section 60, but in Example 4, noise is mitigated in a different way. To achieve this, in Example 4, the operating noise of the cleaner head 10 is suppressed. Here, the cleaner head 10 in the electric vacuum cleaner 100 of this example has a rotary cleaning body and a rotary motor that rotates and drives the rotary cleaning body. Furthermore, the cleaner head 10 also has a belt that transmits the rotational force of the rotary motor to the rotary cleaning body, and a casing.

[0041] When cleaning a floor surface using the vacuum cleaner 100, the rotation of the rotating cleaning body generates a lot of noise, such as the sound of the rotating cleaning body rubbing against the floor surface or the casing, the sound of the belt coming into contact with the rotating cleaning body or the rotating motor, and the vibration sound of the belt itself.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotary cleaning body of the cleaner head 10 is configured not to rotate when the flow rate during standard operation or the like is less than a predetermined amount (i.e., when the flow rate is equal to or less than a predetermined speed). This configuration can suppress noise from the cleaner head 10 and improve S11 during vacuum cleaner operation. The configuration of this embodiment can be applied to each of the above-mentioned embodiments. In other words, the operation suppression of the cleaner head 10 and the sound-deadening section 60 may be used together, or only one of them may be used. [Example]

[0043] Example 5 is an example of visualizing SII in the vacuum cleaner 100. In Example 5, SII information related to SII is output. This SII information includes the SII itself as well as related information such as an index (good or poor), a judgment of conversation intelligibility, and an operating noise level. The output destination of the SII information is expected to be the display screen of the switch unit 12a of the vacuum cleaner 100 as well as the user terminal 400 of the user. Below, an example in which the user terminal 400 is the output destination will be described.

[0044] Currently, home appliances such as the electric vacuum cleaner 100 are linked to user terminals 400, such as smartphones. These are so-called smart home appliances. In the following, the electric vacuum cleaner 100 will be described as an example of a smart home appliance.

[0045] Fig. 11 is a system configuration diagram of a cleaning system in Example 5. In Fig. 11, the vacuum cleaner 100 has a communication function and can communicate with the server device 500 as well as the user terminal 400. The user terminal 400 and the vacuum cleaner 100 may communicate via a router 600 or a network 700, or may be connected using a short-range wireless communication function or the like. This communication enables the user terminal 400 to send control instructions to the vacuum cleaner 100. The user terminal 400 is also connected to the server device 500 via the network 700.

[0046] Below, an overview of each device shown in FIG. 11 , excluding the vacuum cleaner 100, will be described. In FIG. 11 , the user terminal 400 is operated by a user and can be realized by various types of computers, such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer). The user terminal 400 has a communication unit 401, an SII determination unit 402, a microphone 403, an input unit 404, an output unit 405, and a storage unit 606. The SII determination unit 402 can be omitted if a similar function is provided in the server device 500. The user terminal 400 may also have a control unit for operating the vacuum cleaner 100. The SII determination unit 402 and the control unit may be realized by a so-called application (computer program).

[0047] Furthermore, according to predetermined conditions such as the user's operation, the microphone 403 of the user terminal 400 acquires sound data of the noise of the vacuum cleaner 100. Next, the SII determination unit 402 identifies the SII from the acquired sound data. The SII determination unit 402 then outputs SII information corresponding to this SII to the output unit 405. Note that the SII determination unit 402 may output when a condition is satisfied, such as the SII being equal to or greater than a predetermined value or being less than a predetermined value.

[0048] Furthermore, the identification of the SII may be performed by the server device 500. In this case, the communication unit 401 of the user terminal 400 transmits sound data acquired by the microphone 403 to the server device 500. Next, the communication unit 501 of the server device 500 receives the transmitted sound data. The SII determination unit 502 then uses the sound data to identify the SII and, based on this, identifies SII information, which is information related to the SII. The SII determination unit 502 also transmits this SII information to the user terminal 400 via the communication unit 501. As a result, the communication unit 401 of the user terminal 400 receives this and outputs the SII information at the output unit 405. Furthermore, it is desirable that the SII determination unit 502 store the identified SII information 504 in the storage device 503.

[0049] The functions of the microphone 403, SII determination unit 402, and SII determination unit 502 described above may be provided in the vacuum cleaner 100, and the SII information may be identified using these. In this case, this identification is performed by a control unit that can be realized by an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) provided in the vacuum cleaner 100. In addition to when the SII information is identified by the vacuum cleaner 100, the SII information may also be output by the vacuum cleaner 100 when the user terminal 400 or server device 500 is used. In this case, it is desirable that the display screen described above outputs the SII information. Alternatively, sound data acquired by a microphone provided in the vacuum cleaner 100 may be transmitted to the user terminal 400, and the SII information may be identified by either the user terminal 400 or the server device 500. Alternatively, the SII information may be output by both the user terminal 400 and the vacuum cleaner 100. Furthermore, the SII information may be identified in real time and output in accordance with fluctuations in the SII information, or may be identified and output at a predetermined timing.

[0050] The configuration of each of the above-described embodiments can be used for the sound deadening section 60 of this embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment allows the user to recognize the operating noise level using an objective index, and enables the user to select an operating mode with an operating noise level that suits the time of day and environment in which the vacuum cleaner is used.

[0051] Specifically, the operating noise level is displayed using the SII. Here, the operating noise in each operating mode is evaluated and displayed based on speech intelligibility, which indicates how easily speech from conversations or televisions can be heard in a noisy environment. This makes it easier for users to visualize the operating noise level in concrete terms, making it easier to select an operating mode according to the usage time and environment, leading to improved user convenience. The output operating noise level is not limited to an index that is easily recognized by users. Furthermore, when the SII is output to content, the measurement conditions for speech intelligibility may also be displayed. This allows users to recognize the specific measurement environment and more easily visualize the operating noise level.

[0052] Content such as SII information may be displayed as the standard operating noise level in each operating mode when using the product in an instruction manual, product catalog, POP, or the like provided with the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0053] This concludes the description of each embodiment of the present invention. In the above embodiments and examples, the target vacuum cleaner 100 is a so-called stick type, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shape may be a handheld type, a robot type, or any other type. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to devices other than vacuum cleaners, such as futon dryers, that have a suction function. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 100...electric vacuum cleaner, 1...vacuum cleaner body, 10...vacuum cleaner head, 11...dust case, 12...handle section, 13...main body section, 14...storage section, 15...exhaust port, 20...extension tube, 30...storage battery, 40...electric blower, 50...filter, 60...silencer section, 60-1...connection section, 60-2...main body section, 60-3...exhaust section, 70...charging stand, 200...speaker, 300...microphone, 400...user terminal, 500...server device, 600...router, 700...network

Claims

1. In a vacuum cleaner that cleans by sucking in intake air containing dust, The vacuum cleaner has a stick shape, The vacuum cleaner body and a suction port that draws in the intake air in response to a suction force; an extension tube connected to the suction port and through which the drawn-in intake air flows; an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body to generate the suction force; a motor housed in the vacuum cleaner body for driving the electric blower; a storage battery attached to the vacuum cleaner body and supplying power to the motor; a connection port provided in the vacuum cleaner body and connected to the extension pipe to allow the intake air to flow in; a sound-reducing section that reduces noise of the vacuum cleaner when the intake air flows through the connection port; the connection port, the electric blower, the storage battery, and the muffling unit are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the flow direction of the intake air, The muffling section is A hollow structure, a connecting portion having a connection port through which the intake air flows, a main body portion downstream of the connecting portion in the flow direction of the intake air, and a discharge portion downstream of the main body portion in the flow direction of the intake air, the cross-sectional flow area of ​​the connection portion and the discharge portion is the same value, the cross-sectional flow area of ​​the main body portion is larger than the cross-sectional flow areas of the connection portion and the discharge portion, and the length of the flow path of the main body portion is 100 mm or less; A vacuum cleaner that enables improvement in speech intelligibility of noise generated by the vacuum cleaner by making the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the main body portion 16 times or more larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the connection portion and the discharge portion.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, The vacuum cleaner further comprises a seal member provided inside the vacuum cleaner body.

3. 3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, The vacuum cleaner further comprises a display screen that outputs the SII information relating to the speech intelligibility.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, The display screen outputs the speech intelligibility itself as the SII information.

5. A silencing unit for a vacuum cleaner that can be attached to and detached from a vacuum cleaner that cleans by sucking in intake air containing dust, The vacuum cleaner has a stick shape, a vacuum cleaner connected to the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner having an inlet through which the intake air flows and a main body through which the intake air flowing in from the inlet flows, the vacuum cleaner reducing noise; The electric vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body, a suction port that draws in the intake air according to suction force, an extension pipe connected to the suction port and through which the sucked intake air flows; an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body and generating the suction force; a motor housed in the vacuum cleaner body and driving the electric blower; a storage battery attached to the vacuum cleaner body and supplying power to the motor; and a connection port provided in the vacuum cleaner body and connected to the extension pipe and through which the intake air flows, the connection port, the electric blower, and the storage battery being arranged in this order from the upstream side in the flow direction of the intake air; The silencer unit for a vacuum cleaner is the storage battery is disposed downstream in the flow direction; A hollow structure, a connecting portion having the inlet and a discharge portion downstream of the main body portion in a flow direction of the intake air, the main body portion being provided downstream of the connecting portion in the flow direction of the intake air, the cross-sectional flow area of ​​the connection portion and the discharge portion is the same value, the cross-sectional flow area of ​​the main body portion is larger than the cross-sectional flow areas of the connection portion and the discharge portion, and the length of the flow path of the main body portion is 100 mm or less; A sound-absorbing unit for a vacuum cleaner, which enables improvement in the speech intelligibility of noise generated by the vacuum cleaner by making the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the main body portion 16 times or more larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the connection portion and the discharge portion.

6. The silencer unit for an electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, The vacuum cleaner silencer unit has a sealing member provided inside the vacuum cleaner body.

7. The silencer unit for an electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, The vacuum cleaner further includes a silencing unit for a vacuum cleaner, the silencing unit having a display screen that outputs SII information relating to the speech intelligibility.

8. The silencer unit for an electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, The display screen outputs the speech intelligibility itself as the SII information.

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