A cleaning tool set including a vacuum cleaner and a collecting device for collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract

To provide a technique that enables dust accumulated between two filters to be easily discarded. [Solution] The cleaning tool set disclosed herein includes a vacuum cleaner and a collection device that generates a suction force to suck out dust from a dust storage chamber of the vacuum cleaner and collects the dust from the dust storage chamber. The vacuum cleaner has a filter unit configured to allow airflow generated by the suction force of a suction source to pass through while retaining dust contained in the airflow in the dust storage chamber. The collection device is configured to be connected to a dust discharge port and to generate a suction force to suck out dust from the dust storage chamber. The filter unit may be configured to allow dust accumulated in a dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter to be sucked out of the dust storage space toward the dust discharge port by the suction force of the collection device connected to the dust discharge port.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool set including a vacuum cleaner and a collection device that collects dust from the vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stick-type vacuum cleaner 300 as shown in Figure 15. Vacuum cleaner 300 has a handle 310 that forms the base end of vacuum cleaner 300, and this handle 310 is formed so that it can be held by a user. In addition, the tip of vacuum cleaner 300 is provided with a suction nozzle 320 that can be moved on the floor surface by the user.

[0003] Between the grip part 310 and the suction nozzle 320, there are provided a vacuum cleaner main body 330 incorporating a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust on the floor surface through the suction nozzle 320, and a dust storage part 340 that stores the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source. This dust storage part 340 is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body 330.

[0004] 16, dust storage unit 340 has dust storage container 341 that opens upward, and lid 342 for opening and closing the opening at the top end of dust storage container 341. In order to prevent dust in dust storage container 341 from flowing into vacuum cleaner body 330, filter unit 343 is disposed on top of dust storage container 341. Filter unit 343 has primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345 that has finer mesh than primary filter 344.

[0005] Primary filter 344 can retain most of the dust in dust storage container 341 within dust storage container 341, but some dust can pass through primary filter 344. However, the dust that passes through primary filter 344 is captured by secondary filter 345 and stored between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-42332 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to discard the dust between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345, the user removes dust storage unit 340 from vacuum cleaner body 330. Then, the user operates lid 342 to open the opening at the top of dust storage container 341 and removes filter unit 343 from dust storage container 341. The user then disassembles filter unit 343 into primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345 and discards the dust between them. In this way, in order to discard the dust between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345, the user must perform various disassembly tasks.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that makes it easy to remove dust that has accumulated between two filters. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cleaning tool set of the present disclosure comprises a housing forming a drive chamber in which a suction source that generates a suction force to suck in dust, and a dust storage chamber that stores the dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source, and a filter section arranged within the housing to separate the dust storage chamber from the drive chamber, a vacuum cleaner having a dust discharge port that communicates with the dust storage chamber to allow dust to be discharged from the dust storage chamber, and a collection device that is formed so that the vacuum cleaner can be connected, and when the vacuum cleaner is connected, generates a suction force to suck out dust from the dust storage chamber and collects the dust from the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge port. The filter section has a primary filter configured to allow air sucked in by the suction force of the suction source to pass through while retaining some of the dust contained in this air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter located downstream of the primary filter in the flow direction of the air sucked in by the suction force of the suction source and having finer mesh than the primary filter, and a dust exhaust section that forms a dust exhaust path connecting the dust storage chamber and the dust storage space so that, when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device, the suction force of the collection device allows dust accumulated in the dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter to be sucked out into the dust storage chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure facilitates the removal of dust trapped between the two filters. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner (first embodiment) [Figure 2] Perspective view of a vacuum cleaner [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner. [Figure 4] A perspective view of the secondary filter in the filter section [Figure 5] Vertical cross section of cleaning tool set [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of cleaning tool set [Figure 7] Rear view of the cleaning tool set collection device [Figure 8]1 is a cross-sectional view of another vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner; [Figure 9] 10 is a perspective view of another vacuum cleaner (second embodiment); [Figure 10] A cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner. [Figure 11] 1 is a cross-sectional view of another vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner; [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view of another vacuum cleaner around a filter unit (third embodiment); [Figure 13] 1 is a cross-sectional view of another vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner; [Figure 14] 1 is a cross-sectional view of another vacuum cleaner around a filter portion of the vacuum cleaner; [Figure 15] Perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner [Figure 16] A perspective view of a dust storage section of a conventional vacuum cleaner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, first to third embodiments of the cleaning tool set will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, for example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0013] (First embodiment) The cleaning tool set comprises a suction type vacuum cleaner used for cleaning work and a collecting device for collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner.

[0014] (Overall structure of the vacuum cleaner) Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stick-type vacuum cleaner 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0015] The vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a suction nozzle 130 that sucks up dust on the floor, a vacuum cleaner body 110 that stands upright relative to the suction nozzle 130, and a handle 140 that extends upward from the upper end 112 of the vacuum cleaner body 110. The vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are in an upright position relative to the suction nozzle 130 and do not tilt forward from this upright position. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is in use, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 are held by the user in a position tilted backward relative to the suction nozzle 130.

[0016] Suction nozzle 130 is provided with nozzle case 132 that is wider than vacuum cleaner body 110 so as to form wide suction space 131 for sucking in dust. Suction space 131 opens toward the floor at the front portion of nozzle case 132. Behind this opening, suction space 131 is closed by bottom 134 of nozzle case 132. A rotary scraping brush 133 is disposed in suction space 131, and scraping brush 133 is exposed from nozzle case 132 so as to be able to come into contact with the floor surface through the opening of suction space 131.

[0017] The vacuum cleaner main body 110 has a housing 111 that is elongated in the vertical direction. The upper part of the housing 111 tapers toward an upper end 112 of the housing 111, and a grip part 140 extends upward from the upper end 112. The grip part 140 is a rod-shaped part that is thick enough to be gripped by a user. As shown in FIG. 2, the grip part 140 is provided with an operating part 141 that is operated by the user.

[0018] Housing 111 is configured to incorporate various components for sucking up dust on the floor surface and storing the sucked up dust. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , suction pipe 113 extending in the vertical direction is disposed inside the lower part of housing 111. Furthermore, dust storage chamber 152 for storing dust is provided above suction pipe 113. Furthermore, above dust storage chamber 152, drive chamber 153 is formed. This drive chamber 153 contains suction source 116, which generates a suction force to suck up dust on the floor surface and generate an upward suction airflow, and power storage unit 117, which stores power for operating suction source 116. Drive chamber 153 and dust storage chamber 152 are adjacent to each other and aligned vertically, and are separated vertically by filter unit 115. Filter unit 115 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, an exhaust port 122 for exhausting air sucked by suction source 116 is formed in the portion of housing 111 that forms drive chamber 153, and the exhaust port 122 is in communication with drive chamber 153. The exhaust port 122 is formed of a number of through-holes. Furthermore, a dust discharge port 124 for discharging dust accumulated in dust storage chamber 152 is formed in the portion of housing 111 that forms dust storage chamber 152, and the dust discharge port 124 is in communication with dust storage chamber 152. To open and close dust discharge port 124, a substantially rectangular lid 121 is attached to housing 111 so as to be rotatable up and down. Note that the lid 121 shown in FIG. 2 is in an open position that opens dust discharge port 124, and the lid 121 shown in FIG. 1 is in a closed position that closes dust discharge port 124. The lid 121 is biased to the closed position so as to close the dust discharge port 124 when no external force is acting on the lid 121.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the filter unit 115 is a thin plate-like member that extends obliquely upward from a position above the cover 121 and the dust discharge port 124 and below the exhaust port 122. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the filter unit 115 has a primary filter 171 and a secondary filter 172 that are arranged facing each other at a distance in the vertical direction. The primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are configured to allow air to flow between the dust storage chamber 152 and the drive chamber 153. The primary filter 171 has larger holes than the secondary filter 172 and is configured to capture larger dust particles. The dust captured by the primary filter 171 is stored in the dust storage chamber 152.

[0021] Dust particles smaller than the mesh size of primary filter 171 can pass through primary filter 171, but this small dust particle can be captured by secondary filter 172, which is disposed downstream of primary filter 171 in the flow direction of air sucked by suction source 116. The dust captured by secondary filter 172 is stored in the space between primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172. In the following description, this space will be referred to as "dust storage space 173."

[0022] The primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 have a curved shape in a side view. As shown in Fig. 1, the primary filter 171 has an inclined portion 174 that is provided above the cover 121 and the dust discharge port 124 and extends obliquely upward from a position below the exhaust port 122, and is provided in an inclined position, and a bent portion 175 that is bent relative to the inclined portion 174. The secondary filter 172 has an inclined portion 176 that is provided in an attitude substantially parallel to the inclined portion 174 of the primary filter 171, and a bent portion 177 that is provided in an attitude substantially parallel to the bent portion 175 of the primary filter 171.

[0023] The inclined portions 174, 176 are provided to ensure a large area for the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 within the housing 111. If the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are arranged in a right-angled position (i.e., a horizontal position) perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber 152 and the drive chamber 153, their areas will be equal to the area of ​​the cross section of the internal space of the housing 111. On the other hand, if the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 have the inclined portions 174, 176, the areas of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be larger than the area of ​​the cross section of the internal space of the housing 111.

[0024] Bent portion 175 of primary filter 171 is provided to somewhat increase the angle of the corner formed between primary filter 171 and the rear wall portion of housing 111 on the dust storage chamber 152 side. If primary filter 171 as a whole were inclined at the same angle as inclined portion 174, the corner of dust storage chamber 152 between primary filter 171 and the front wall portion of housing 111 would be obtuse, but the corner of dust storage chamber 152 between primary filter 171 and the rear wall portion of housing 111 would be acute. The smaller the angle of this corner, the more difficult it may be to remove dust trapped in this corner. On the other hand, if primary filter 171 has bent portion 175, the angle of the corner formed between primary filter 171 and the rear wall portion of housing 111 may be somewhat increased.

[0025] The bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 is provided to facilitate the removal of dust from the secondary filter 172. The process of removing dust from the secondary filter 172 will be described later.

[0026] The mesh of the secondary filter 172 is small and therefore easily clogged. For this reason, the area of ​​the secondary filter 172 is made larger than that of the primary filter 171 to prevent the entire secondary filter 172 from becoming clogged. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the secondary filter 172 is bent so as to form a plurality of protrusions 178 extending in the longitudinal direction of the secondary filter 172 (i.e., in the direction from a position close to the dust discharge port 124 to a position away from the dust discharge port 124). On the other hand, the mesh of the primary filter 171 is large and therefore the primary filter 171 is less likely to become clogged than the secondary filter 172. For this reason, the primary filter 171 has a flat sheet shape, as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, a relatively inexpensive filter material can be used for the primary filter 171.

[0027] 3, in order to discharge dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, a dust discharge unit 179 is attached to the lower ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. The dust discharge unit 179 is fixed to the front wall portion of the housing 111 where the dust discharge port 124 is formed, and forms a dust discharge path 180 that extends in the vertical direction so that dust falls when dust is discharged from the dust storage space 173. The upper end of the dust discharge path 180 faces the dust storage space 173, and the lower end of the dust discharge path 180 opens downward.

[0028] In order to open and close the opening at the lower end of the dust discharge path 180, an on-off valve 181 is attached to the lower end of the dust discharge path 180, as shown in Fig. 3. The on-off valve 181 is set to a closed position that closes the dust discharge path 180 by the upward suction force of the suction source 116 in the drive chamber 153 above the filter unit 115, as shown in Fig. 3. When the suction source 116 stops and the suction force is eliminated, the on-off valve 181 rotates downward by its own weight, thereby opening the dust discharge path 180. When the dust discharge path 180 is open, dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 falls into the dust storage chamber 152.

[0029] 1, the upper end of dust storage chamber 152 is defined by filter portion 115, while the lower end of dust storage chamber 152 is defined by check valve 114 attached to the upper end of suction pipe 113. Check valve 114 shown in FIG. 1 is in a closed position that closes the opening at the upper end of suction pipe 113. When suction source 116 generates an upward suction force, check valve 114 rotates upward from the position shown in FIG. 1 to an open position that opens the opening at the upper end of suction pipe 113.

[0030] Suction tube 113 extends in the vertical direction, and the lower end of suction tube 113 is attached to suction nozzle 130. The connection portion between suction tube 113 and suction nozzle 130 is configured to allow suction tube 113, housing 111, and grip portion 140 to tilt backward from the upright position shown in FIG.

[0031] When suction tube 113, housing 111, and grip portion 140 are in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of suction tube 113 is in contact with bottom portion 134 of nozzle case 132. That is, when vacuum cleaner body 110 is in the upright position, the lower end of suction tube 113 is closed by bottom portion 134 of nozzle case 132. When vacuum cleaner body 110 is tilted backward from the upright position, the lower end of suction tube 113 moves in the direction shown by arrow A in Fig. 1. As a result, the flow path of suction tube 113 is in communication with suction space 131 of nozzle case 132.

[0032] (Overall structure of the recovery device) Dust stored in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be collected by a collection device 200 shown in Figure 5. The vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection device 200 make up a cleaning tool set 101.

[0033] The collection device 200 is configured to be connectable to the vacuum cleaner 100, and is configured to generate a suction force to suck dust from the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 while the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected, and to collect the dust. In detail, the collection device 200 has a base plate 220 on which the vacuum cleaner 100 is placed, a support part 217 standing on the base plate 220, and a housing 210 supported by the support part 217 at a position spaced above the base plate 220. The support part 217 is smaller than the housing 210 and the base plate 220 in the front-rear direction, and a recess is formed which is surrounded by the base plate 220, the support part 217, and the housing 210. A front portion of the suction nozzle 130 placed on the base plate 220 is inserted into this recess.

[0034] Housing 210 is a generally rectangular box-shaped portion, and a recessed groove 215 into which cleaner body 110 is fitted is formed on the rear wall of housing 210, as shown in Fig. 6. Recessed groove 215 extends in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0035] 7, a collection port 216 is formed in the recessed groove portion 215, through which dust in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 flows in. The collection port 216 is formed at a height position opposite to the lid body 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 placed on the base plate 220. The collection port 216 has a size that allows the lid body 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the open position to enter.

[0036] An opening area 236 is formed in the recessed groove portion 215 above the collection port 216. The opening area 236 is formed in a position facing the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100 placed on the base plate 220. Therefore, when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is prevented from being blocked by the housing 210 of the collection device 200.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 5, a dust suction source 250 that generates a suction force for sucking dust out of dust storage chamber 152 of vacuum cleaner 100, and a dust storage box 240 that stores the dust sucked by dust suction source 250 are arranged within housing 210 of collection device 200. Dust storage box 240 is arranged above dust suction source 250, and a filter member 247 is arranged between dust storage box 240 and dust suction source 250. Filter member 247 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through. Dust suction source 250 sucks air from dust storage box 240 downward through filter member 247. At this time, the dust in dust storage box 240 is retained within dust storage box 240 by filter member 247.

[0038] A collection duct 230 extends from the dust storage box 240, and the tip of the collection duct 230 is connected to the collection port 216. The collection duct 230 forms a flow path for dust to flow from the collection port 216 to the dust storage box 240.

[0039] (Explanation of the operation of the vacuum cleaner during cleaning work) During cleaning work, the user holds the vacuum cleaner 100 in a position where the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 are tilted backward relative to the suction nozzle 130. By tilting the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 backward relative to the suction nozzle 130, it becomes easier to move the suction nozzle 130 forward while pushing it. In this state, the flow path of the suction tube 113 communicates with the suction space 131 of the suction nozzle 130.

[0040] When the user then operates operating unit 141 to activate suction source 116, suction source 116 generates an upward suction force. This suction force causes check valve 114 to bend upward. As a result, the upper end of suction tube 113 is opened. Meanwhile, this suction force causes on-off valve 181 of filter unit 115 to assume a closed position, closing dust discharge path 180 of dust discharge unit 179.

[0041] When the upper end of suction pipe 113 is opened, the suction force of suction source 116 generates a suction airflow that sucks in dust through suction space 131 of suction nozzle 130. The suction airflow passes through suction nozzle 130 and suction pipe 113 and flows into dust storage chamber 152. Dust on the floor surface is carried by this suction airflow and flows into dust storage chamber 152. Large dust particles among this dust are captured by primary filter 171 and retained in dust storage chamber 152. Meanwhile, small dust particles pass through primary filter 171 and flow into dust storage space 173 between primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172. This dust is then captured by secondary filter 172 and retained in dust storage space 173. At this time, the dust discharge path 180 of the dust discharge section 179 is closed by the on-off valve 181, so that air and dust are prevented from flowing into the dust storage space 173 through the dust discharge path 180 without passing through the primary filter 171.

[0042] When the cleaning work is completed, the user operates the operating unit 141 to stop the suction source 116. As a result, the suction force of the suction source 116 disappears, and the check valve 114 returns to its original position and closes the upper end of the suction pipe 113. Therefore, the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 does not fall into the suction pipe 113.

[0043] Meanwhile, due to the loss of suction force, on-off valve 181 of filter unit 115 rotates downward due to its own weight, opening dust discharge path 180 of dust discharge unit 179. As a result, dust in dust storage space 173 falls toward dust discharge unit 179 according to the inclination of filter unit 115, and flows into dust storage chamber 152 through dust discharge path 180 of dust discharge unit 179. Because dust discharge unit 179 is located above lid body 121 and dust discharge port 124, dust in dust storage space 173 falls near lid body 121.

[0044] As the dust in the lower part of dust storage space 173 is discharged through dust discharge section 179, the dust in the upper part of dust storage space 173 moves to the lower part of dust storage space 173 according to the inclination of filter section 115. This dust then falls into dust storage chamber 152 through dust discharge section 179. In this way, the dust accumulated in dust storage space 173 can be discharged to a certain extent into dust storage chamber 152 by stopping suction source 116.

[0045] When suction source 116 is stopped, some of the dust adhering to primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 may fall from primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 due to the action of gravity. Specifically, a component of gravity acting in the normal direction of primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 acts to pull the dust off primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172. This component of gravity becomes smaller the more the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 are inclined relative to the alignment direction of dust storage chamber 152 and drive chamber 153. Therefore, the component of force acting on bent portions 175 and 177 of primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 is greater than the component of force acting on inclined portions 174 and 176. Therefore, dust adhering to bent portions 175 and 177 is more likely to fall due to gravity than dust adhering to inclined portions 174 and 176.

[0046] When suction source 116 is operating, there is nothing to block the dust flowing from the upper end of suction tube 113 toward primary filter 171, so the dust can forcefully enter a corner formed on the dust storage chamber 152 side between primary filter 171 and housing 111. However, because this corner has an obtuse angle, the dust can fall from this corner when suction source 116 is stopped. In addition, because the angle of the corner formed on the dust storage chamber 152 side between bent portion 175 of primary filter 171 and the rear wall portion of housing 111 is also somewhat large, dust can also fall from this corner.

[0047] (Explanation of the operation of the collection device when collecting dust) The user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200 to collect dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152. More specifically, the user places the vacuum cleaner 100 on the base plate 220 of the collection device 200, and places the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 in an upright position. When the upright vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the recessed groove portion 215 of the collection device 200, the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 faces the collection port 216 of the collection device 200 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0048] When dust suction source 250 is activated in this state, the suction force of dust suction source 250 acts on lid body 121 facing collection port 216 through dust storage box 240 and collection duct 230. In response to the dust suction force of dust suction source 250, lid body 121 changes from a closed position in which dust discharge port 124 is closed to an open position in which dust discharge port 124 is opened.

[0049] When the dust discharge port 124 is opened, the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is in communication with the internal space of the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230. In this state, the suction force of the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200 acts on the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 through the dust storage box 240 and the recovery duct 230. Then, the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 flows into the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230.

[0050] At this time, the suction force of the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200 is stronger in the vicinity of the dust discharge port 124 within the dust storage chamber 152, and may become weaker the further away from the dust discharge port 124. Since the inclined portions 174 of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are provided at positions relatively close to the dust discharge port 124, dust adhering to the inclined portions 174, 176 may be subjected to a fairly strong suction force and may be pulled off from the inclined portions 174, 176.

[0051] On the other hand, because bent portions 175, 177 are provided at positions relatively far from dust discharge port 124, the dust suction force acting on bent portions 175, 177 may be weaker than the dust suction force acting on inclined portions 174, 176. However, because bent portions 175, 177 are provided at an angle closer to a right angle to the alignment direction of dust storage chamber 152 and drive chamber 153 than inclined portions 174, 176, dust adhering to bent portions 175, 177 can be removed as follows.

[0052] That is, because dust discharge port 124 is provided below filter section 115, the suction force of dust suction source 250 acts downward on bent sections 175, 177. And because bent sections 175, 177 are provided at an angle nearly perpendicular to the alignment direction of dust storage chamber 152 and drive chamber 153, the component of the suction force of dust suction source 250 in the normal direction of bent sections 175, 177 can become somewhat large. For this reason, dust remaining in bent sections 175, 177 even after suction source 116 of vacuum cleaner 100 has stopped can be pulled away from bent sections 175, 177 by the suction force of dust suction source 250. In other words, by arranging the bent portions 175, 177 at an angle nearly perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber 152 and the drive chamber 153, it becomes possible to efficiently remove dust from the bent portions 175, 177 even if the bent portions 175, 177 are relatively far from the dust discharge port 124.

[0053] The discharge of dust from the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 is also promoted by the airflow generated inside the vacuum cleaner 100 when the dust is collected from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200. That is, the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is not blocked by the housing 210 of the collection device 200 even when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200. In other words, the drive chamber 153 communicates with the internal space of the housing 210 of the collection device 200 through the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the opening area 236 of the collection device 200.

[0054] Then, due to the suction force of the dust suction source 250, the air in the dust storage chamber 152 flows out into the recovery duct 230 together with the dust, and the air in the internal space of the housing 210 of the recovery device 200 flows into the drive chamber 153 through the opening region 236 and the exhaust port 122. This air flows downward through the drive chamber 153. Then, this air passes through the secondary filter 172 and flows into the dust storage space 173. Dust adhering to the secondary filter 172 can be peeled off from the secondary filter 172 by the air passing through the secondary filter 172.

[0055] A portion of the air that has flowed into the dust storage space 173 passes through the primary filter 171 and flows into the dust storage chamber 152. At this time, dust adhering to the primary filter 171 can be peeled off from the primary filter 171 by the air passing through the primary filter 171.

[0056] The air flows toward the dust discharge section 179 in the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. Then, the dust remaining in the dust storage space 173 flows toward the dust discharge section 179 along with this air flow, and flows into the dust storage chamber 152 through the dust discharge path 180 of the dust discharge section 179. Thereafter, the dust can be sucked out of the dust storage chamber 152 into the dust storage box 240 through the dust discharge port 124.

[0057] At this time, the protrusions 178 of the secondary filter 172 extend in the direction of the air flow toward the dust discharge section 179 within the dust storage space 173, so that dust flowing with this air flow is less likely to get caught on the protrusions 178 of the secondary filter 172.

[0058] 5, dust accumulated in filter unit 115 can be removed from filter unit 115 without removing filter unit 115 from vacuum cleaner 100. In other words, a user can easily remove not only dust in dust storage chamber 152 of vacuum cleaner 100 but also dust accumulated between primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172, simply by attaching vacuum cleaner 100 to collection device 200 and operating collection device 200.

[0059] In the filter section 115 shown in FIG. 3 , the on-off valve 181 is closed by the suction force of the suction source 116 of the vacuum cleaner 100. This prevents air and dust that have flowed into the dust storage chamber 152 by the suction force of the suction source 116 of the vacuum cleaner 100 from flowing into the dust storage space 173 without passing through the primary filter 171. To achieve a similar effect, the on-off valve 181 may be biased to the closed position by a biasing member (for example, a torsion spring). The biasing force of this biasing member may be set so that the on-off valve 181 is opened by the suction force of the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200. In this case, the on-off valve 181 can be prevented from unintentionally opening due to a decrease in the suction force of the suction source 116 of the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0060] 3, primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 have inclined portions 174 and 176, respectively. However, if there is no risk of primary filter 171 becoming clogged as a whole, primary filter 171 does not need to have inclined portion 174. Furthermore, if there is no risk of secondary filter 172 becoming clogged as a whole, secondary filter 172 does not need to have inclined portion 176.

[0061] 3, primary filter 171 is formed in the shape of a flat sheet. Alternatively, in order to increase the area of ​​primary filter 171, primary filter 171 may have a folded shape so that multiple ridges are formed, similar to secondary filter 172. In this case, even if a portion of primary filter 171 becomes clogged, air can flow into dust storage space 173 through other portions of primary filter 171.

[0062] The secondary filter 172 shown in FIG. 4 has a folded shape to form a plurality of ridges 178. In this case, the area of ​​the secondary filter 172 is increased by the amount that the secondary filter 172 is folded, and even if a portion of the secondary filter 172 becomes clogged, the air in the dust storage space 173 can flow out of the dust storage space 173 through other portions of the secondary filter 172. However, if the internal space of the vacuum cleaner 100 is large, a large area of ​​the secondary filter 172 can be obtained even if the secondary filter 172 does not have a folded shape. Therefore, in such a case, the secondary filter 172 may have a flat sheet shape similar to the primary filter 171 shown in FIG. 3.

[0063] 3, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other. Alternatively, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be arranged so that the distance between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 increases as the distance approaches the dust discharge port 124, as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, dust flowing in the dust storage space 173 toward the dust discharge path 180 can be prevented from being pinched between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 and becoming trapped in the dust storage space 173 before being discharged through the dust discharge path 180.

[0064] (Second embodiment) In the cleaning tool set 101 of the first embodiment, when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the opening area 236 of the housing 210 of the collection device 200 are connected to each other. Therefore, when dust is collected from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, air inside the housing 210 of the collection device 200 flows into the drive chamber 153 of the vacuum cleaner 100 through the opening area 236 of the collection device 200 and the exhaust port 122 of the vacuum cleaner 100. Some of this air then flows through the dust storage space 173, promoting the discharge of dust from the dust storage space 173. However, the suction source 116 is present in the path along which the air flows from the exhaust port 122 to the dust storage space 173, and this suction source 116 can act as a resistance to the flow of air from the exhaust port 122 toward the dust storage space 173.

[0065] In order to reduce such air resistance, as shown in Fig. 9, inlet 182 may be formed to communicate with drive chamber 153 at a position closer to dust discharge port 124 than to exhaust port 122 in the alignment direction of dust storage chamber 152 and drive chamber 153. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 10, inlet 182 may open at a position higher than filter unit 115 and lower than suction source 116. In this case, when collecting dust from vacuum cleaner 100 to collection device 200, air that has flowed into drive chamber 153 from inlet 182 can flow into dust storage space 173 without being obstructed by suction source 116.

[0066] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the inlet 182 may be formed in the side wall portion of the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100 so that it is not blocked by the housing 210 of the collection device 200 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is fitted into the recessed groove portion 215 of the collection device 200.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 9, an open / close lid 183 that is operated to open and close air inlet 182 is attached to housing 111 of vacuum cleaner 100. Open / close lid 183 shown in Fig. 9 is in an open position that opens air inlet 182, and when collecting dust from vacuum cleaner 100 to collection device 200, a user can operate open / close lid 183 so that open / close lid 183 is in the open position. On the other hand, when performing cleaning work using vacuum cleaner 100, a user can close air inlet 182 by rotating open / close lid 183 upward from the position shown in Fig. 9. In this state, even if suction source 116 is activated, no air flows in through air inlet 182, and a decrease in suction force at suction nozzle 130 is suppressed.

[0068] The air inlet 182 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is formed in a side wall portion of the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11 , the air inlet 182 may be formed in a surface (i.e., a rear wall portion of the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100) opposite to the surface on which the dust outlet 124 is formed (i.e., a front wall portion of the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100). In this case, air that flows into the housing 111 through the air inlet 182 may traverse the internal space of the housing 111 and flow out from the dust outlet 124. If the filter unit 115 is arranged at an inclination angle close to this air flow, the amount of air that enters the dust storage space 173 through the secondary filter 172 and passes through the dust storage space 173 and is discharged from the dust discharge path 180 may increase. This air flow may push the air in the dust storage space 173 toward the dust discharge unit 179. As a result, the discharge of dust from the dust storage space 173 may be promoted.

[0069] 9 to 11 is operated by the user to be in an open position or a closed position. Alternatively, the open-close lid 183 may be biased to be in the open position and configured to be in the closed position by the suction force of the suction source 116. In this case, if the biasing force on the open-close lid 183 is set to maintain the open position against the suction force of the dust suction source 250 acting on the inlet 182, the user does not need to operate the open-close lid 183. In other words, the open-close lid 183 can be in the closed position by the suction force of the suction source 116 when performing cleaning work using the vacuum cleaner 100, and in the open position by the biasing force of the open-close lid 183 when collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, even without the user operating the open-close lid 183.

[0070] (Third embodiment) When performing cleaning using the vacuum cleaner 100, air flows from the dust storage chamber 152 to the drive chamber 153 within the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100. As this air passes through the filter section 115, it tries to bend and deform the primary filter 171 upward (i.e., toward the secondary filter 172). Furthermore, when collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, air flows from the drive chamber 153 to the dust storage chamber 152 within the housing 111 of the vacuum cleaner 100. As this air passes through the filter section 115, it tries to bend and deform the secondary filter 172 downward (i.e., toward the primary filter 171). As a result of the upward bending and deformation of the primary filter 171 and the downward bending and deformation of the secondary filter 172, the dust storage space 173 may become narrower. In order to suppress these bending and deformation, deformation suppressing sections 184, 185 may be provided within the dust storage space 173, as shown in FIG. 12 .

[0071] The deformation suppression section 184 is provided to suppress upward bending deformation of the primary filter 171, and is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped members 186 arranged to abut against the inner surface (the surface facing the secondary filter 172) of the primary filter 171. These rod-shaped members 186 extend in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 12) and are arranged at intervals from one another.

[0072] The deformation suppression section 185 is provided to suppress downward bending deformation of the secondary filter 172, and is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped members 187 arranged to abut against the inner surface (the surface facing the primary filter 171) of the secondary filter 172. These rod-shaped members 187 extend in the width direction and are arranged at intervals from one another.

[0073] During cleaning operations using the vacuum cleaner 100, the primary filter 171 receives an upward force from the air flowing from the dust storage chamber 152 to the drive chamber 153, but the upward bending deformation of the primary filter 171 is suppressed by the deformation suppression section 184. The primary filter 171 may bend between adjacent rod-shaped members 186 in the deformation suppression section 184, but the smaller the spacing between these rod-shaped members 186, the more the bending deformation of the primary filter 171 is suppressed. On the other hand, if a large number of rod-shaped members 186 are arranged so that the spacing between them is narrow, the area in the primary filter 171 that allows air to pass through becomes smaller. For this reason, it is preferable to determine the spacing and number of rod-shaped members 186 in consideration of the amount of bending deformation of the primary filter 171 and the size of the area in the primary filter 171 that allows air to pass through.

[0074] When collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, the secondary filter 172 receives a downward force from the air flowing from the drive chamber 153 to the dust storage chamber 152, but the downward bending deformation of the secondary filter 172 is suppressed by the deformation suppression section 185. The secondary filter 172 may bend between adjacent rod-shaped members 187 in the deformation suppression section 185, but the smaller the spacing between these rod-shaped members 187, the more the bending deformation of the secondary filter 172 is suppressed. On the other hand, if a large number of rod-shaped members 187 are arranged so that the spacing between them is narrow, the area in the secondary filter 172 that allows air to pass through becomes smaller. For this reason, it is preferable to determine the spacing and number of rod-shaped members 187 in consideration of the amount of bending deformation of the secondary filter 172 and the size of the area in the secondary filter 172 that allows air to pass through.

[0075] If the deformation suppression units 184, 185 are provided in the dust storage space 173, the dust storage space 173 will be locally narrowed at the positions where the rod-shaped members 186, 187 are arranged. Furthermore, when collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, it is expected that dust flowing toward the dust discharge path 180 in the dust storage space 173 will be caught on the rod-shaped members 186, 187. To reduce this disadvantage, one of the deformation suppression units 184, 185 may be omitted. Alternatively, the deformation suppression units 184, 185 may be provided so as to abut the outer surfaces of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. If the deformation suppression units 184, 185 are fixed to the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, the deformation of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 will be suppressed even if the deformation suppression units 184, 185 are provided on the outer surfaces of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172.

[0076] 13, through holes 188 may be formed in the rod-shaped members 186, 187 of the deformation suppression portions 184, 185. These through holes 188 are drilled in the rod-shaped members 186, 187 so as to allow the passage of air flowing toward the dust discharge path 180 within the dust storage space 173. The flow path of the air flowing within the dust storage space 173 is expanded by the amount of the through holes 188.

[0077] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the cleaning tool set 101 of the first to third embodiments, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 do not tilt forward from the upright position. However, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured so that the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 can tilt forward from the upright position.

[0078] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the cleaning tool set 101 of the first to third embodiments, the lid 121 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction relative to the housing 111. Alternatively, the lid 121 may be configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction relative to the housing 111, or may be configured to slide on the housing 111 to open the dust outlet 124.

[0079] The filter unit 115 of the cleaning tool set 101 of the first to third embodiments is housed in a stick-type vacuum cleaner 100. However, the filter unit 115 may also be housed in an upright-type vacuum cleaner, a canister-type vacuum cleaner, or a handheld vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, the filter unit 115 may also be housed in a self-propelled robot vacuum cleaner.

[0080] In the cleaning tool sets 101 of the first to third embodiments, the dust removal unit 179 is attached to the lower ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. Alternatively, the dust removal unit 179 may be provided in another portion. For example, if the primary filter 171 has a shape that is lowest at the center of the primary filter 171 and slopes upward from the center toward the front and rear ends, as shown in FIG. 14 , the dust removal unit 179 may be provided in this center position.

[0081] In the cleaning tool sets 101 of the first to third embodiments, the collection device 200 and the vacuum cleaner 100 are connected by fitting the vacuum cleaner 100 into the recessed groove portion 215 of the collection device 200. Alternatively, the collection duct 230 of the collection device 200 may extend outward from the housing 210, and the collection duct 230 may be inserted into the dust outlet 124 of the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0082] (Effects, etc.) The cleaning tool set 101 according to the above embodiment has the following features and provides the following effects.

[0083] The cleaning tool set according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment includes a housing that forms a drive chamber in which a suction source that generates a suction force to suck in dust and a dust storage chamber that stores the dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source, a filter section that is arranged within the housing to separate the dust storage chamber from the drive chamber, a vacuum cleaner that is formed with a dust discharge port that communicates with the dust storage chamber to allow dust to be discharged from the dust storage chamber, and a collection device that is formed so that the vacuum cleaner can be connected, and that, when the vacuum cleaner is connected, generates a suction force that sucks out dust from the dust storage chamber and collects the dust from the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge port. The filter section has a primary filter configured to allow air sucked in by the suction force of the suction source to pass through while retaining some of the dust contained in this air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter located downstream of the primary filter in the flow direction of the air sucked in by the suction force of the suction source and having finer mesh than the primary filter, and a dust exhaust section that forms a dust exhaust path connecting the dust storage chamber and the dust storage space so that, when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device, the suction force of the collection device allows dust accumulated in the dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter to be sucked out into the dust storage chamber.

[0084] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source of the vacuum cleaner is activated, the suction force of the suction source generates an airflow from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber. This air passes through the primary filter, but some of the dust contained in this air is captured by the primary filter and retained in the dust storage chamber. The remaining dust passes through the primary filter, but the dust that passes through the primary filter can be captured by the secondary filter, which has finer mesh than the primary filter. The dust captured by the secondary filter can be stored in the dust storage space between the primary and secondary filters.

[0085] To collect dust from the dust storage chamber into the collection device, a user can connect the vacuum cleaner to the collection device. When the collection device is activated in this state, the dust from the dust storage chamber is sucked out through a dust outlet formed in communication with the dust storage chamber by the suction force of the collection device and collected in the collection device. At this time, dust stored in the dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter is sucked into the dust storage chamber through the dust outlet path of the dust outlet unit. This dust is then also sucked out through the dust outlet and collected in the collection device. In this way, disassembly of the filter unit is not required when collecting dust from the vacuum cleaner to the collection device. Therefore, dust in the dust storage space can be easily removed from the dust storage space.

[0086] In the above-described configuration, the filter section may have an on-off valve that opens and closes the dust discharge path.

[0087] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source of the vacuum cleaner is operated with the on-off valve closing the dust discharge path, the air in the dust storage chamber is prevented from flowing into the dust storage space through the dust discharge path, i.e., the air in the dust storage chamber is prevented from flowing into the dust storage space without passing through the primary filter.

[0088] When the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device and the collection device is activated, the suction force of the collection device sucks out the dust in the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge port. At this time, when the on-off valve opens the dust discharge path, the dust storage space communicates with the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path, and the suction force of the collection device also acts on the dust storage space. As a result, the dust in the dust storage space is sucked out through the dust discharge path into the dust storage chamber. The dust is then collected by the collection device through the dust discharge port.

[0089] In the above-described configuration, the on-off valve may be configured to be in a closed position to close the dust discharge path by the suction force of the suction source of the vacuum cleaner, and to be in an open position to open the dust discharge path by the weight of the on-off valve itself.

[0090] In the above-described configuration, when a user uses the vacuum cleaner for cleaning, the user activates the suction source of the vacuum cleaner. At this time, the suction force of the suction source causes the on-off valve to assume a closed position, closing the dust discharge path. In this state, air from the dust storage chamber is prevented from flowing into the dust storage space without passing through the primary filter.

[0091] When the user finishes cleaning, he or she turns off the vacuum cleaner's suction source. At this time, the on-off valve assumes an open position, opening the dust discharge path, due to its own weight. In this state, when the user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates the device, the dust in the dust storage space is collected into the collection device through the dust discharge port, along with the dust in the dust storage chamber, due to the dust suction force of the collection device.

[0092] In the above-described configuration, the dust discharge path may be open at the lower end of the dust storage space so as to allow dust in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path when the on-off valve is in the open position.

[0093] In the above-described configuration, when the on-off valve is in the open position to open the dust discharge path under its own weight, some of the dust in the dust storage space falls by gravity through the dust discharge path into the dust storage chamber. When the user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and operates the collection device, the dust remaining in the dust storage space is collected into the collection device through the dust discharge port together with the dust in the dust storage chamber by the dust suction force of the collection device.

[0094] In the above-described configuration, the on-off valve may be biased to a closed position that closes the dust discharge path, and may be configured to be configured to move to an open position that opens the dust discharge path by the dust suction force of a collection device connected to the dust discharge port.

[0095] In the above-described configuration, when a user uses the vacuum cleaner for cleaning, the user activates the suction source of the vacuum cleaner. At this time, the on-off valve is biased to the closed position, so the dust discharge path is closed. This prevents air from entering the dust storage space without passing through the primary filter.

[0096] When the user then connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates it, the suction force of the collection device causes the on-off valve to open, opening the dust discharge path. As a result, the dust in the dust storage space is collected into the collection device through the dust discharge port, along with the dust in the dust storage chamber, by the suction force of the collection device.

[0097] In the above-described configuration, the vacuum cleaner may be configured so that an exhaust port through which air sucked by the suction force of the suction source is discharged is formed to communicate with the drive chamber. The collection device may be configured to generate a dust suction force sufficient to suck air through the exhaust port when connected to the dust discharge port.

[0098] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source of the vacuum cleaner is operating, air sucked in by the suction source is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port. When a user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and operates the collection device, the suction force of the collection device causes air to flow into the drive chamber of the vacuum cleaner through the exhaust port. This air then passes through the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber and flows out through the dust discharge port. At this time, dust in the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber can be carried by this air flow and flow out through the dust discharge port.

[0099] In the above-described configuration, the vacuum cleaner may have an exhaust port through which air sucked by the suction source is discharged, and an inlet through which air flows into the drive chamber by the suction force of the dust collection device when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the dust collection device, both of which are formed to communicate with the drive chamber. The inlet may be located closer to the dust discharge port than the exhaust port. The vacuum cleaner may have an opening / closing lid for opening and closing the inlet.

[0100] With the above-described configuration, a user can perform cleaning work using the vacuum cleaner with the inlet closed with the open-close lid. During this time, air sucked in by the suction source is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port. The user can then connect the vacuum cleaner to the collection device to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner into the collection device. The user can then operate the open-close lid to open the inlet and activate the collection device. Because the inlet is located closer to the dust discharge port than the exhaust port, the suction force of the collection device can be stronger at the inlet than at the exhaust port. This allows more air to flow into the drive chamber through the inlet, and this large amount of air passes through the dust storage space and dust storage chamber before flowing out the dust discharge port. This air can thus promote the discharge of dust from the dust storage space and dust storage chamber.

[0101] In the above-described configuration, the vacuum cleaner may have an inlet formed on a surface opposite to the surface on which the dust outlet is formed, through which air flows into the drive chamber by the suction force of the collection device when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device. The dust outlet path may be located closer to the inlet than the dust outlet.

[0102] In the above-described configuration, when a user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates the collection device, the suction force of the dust suction source causes air to flow into the drive chamber through the inlet and out through the dust outlet formed to communicate with the dust storage chamber. A portion of this air flows through the dust storage space within the filter unit that separates the drive chamber from the dust storage chamber. This air flow within the dust storage space pushes dust in the direction toward the dust outlet, collecting it near the dust outlet. The dust outlet path is located closer to the dust outlet than the inlet so that the dust collected near the dust outlet can be discharged from the dust storage space.

[0103] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter or the secondary filter may have an inclined portion that is inclined from a right-angled position perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber.

[0104] If the primary filter or secondary filter were to separate the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber in a position perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber, the area of ​​the primary filter or secondary filter would be small, and it is expected that the entire primary filter or secondary filter would become clogged. To avoid this situation, the primary filter or secondary filter has an inclined portion that is inclined from a perpendicular position perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber. In this case, the greater the inclination angle of the inclined portion from the perpendicular position, the greater the area of ​​the primary filter or secondary filter can be.

[0105] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter may have an inclined portion inclined from a right-angle position that is perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber so that the corner formed by the housing and the primary filter on the dust storage chamber side is an obtuse angle, and a bent portion bent relative to the inclined portion so that the position is closer to the right-angle position than the inclined portion.

[0106] If the entire primary filter is positioned at an angle relative to a right-angled position, the corners between the primary filter and the housing on the dust storage chamber side may have some obtuse angles and some acute angles. If the angle of inclination of the primary filter is increased to increase the area of ​​the primary filter, the acute-angled corners become narrower, and dust in the dust storage chamber may become trapped in these narrow corners. Such dust is strongly clamped between the primary filter and the housing, and even when the dust collection device's suction force acts on it, it may remain in the corners without escaping.

[0107] To avoid this situation, the primary filter has a bent portion that is bent relative to the inclined portion. Because the bent portion is positioned at a nearly right angle, the angle of the corner formed between the bent portion and the housing on the dust storage chamber side can be somewhat large. As a result, even when the dust collection device's suction force acts, the amount of dust remaining in the corner between the primary filter and the dust storage chamber can be reduced.

[0108] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter may have an inclined portion inclined from a right-angle position perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber, and a bent portion that is located farther from the dust outlet than the inclined portion and is bent relative to the inclined portion so that the position is closer to the right-angle position than the inclined portion.

[0109] When the secondary filter is in a right-angle position, the suction force acting on the dust storage chamber through the dust outlet acts in a direction normal to the secondary filter. This normal force acts to remove dust adhering to the secondary filter from the secondary filter. Meanwhile, the more the secondary filter is tilted from the right-angle position, the smaller the component of the suction force acting in the normal direction of the secondary filter becomes. Since the dust removal force acting on the secondary filter is relatively strong near the dust outlet, even if the secondary filter is tilted from the right-angle position to increase the area of ​​the secondary filter, a component of the suction force large enough to remove dust from the secondary filter can be obtained. However, since the suction force is weaker at positions farther from the dust outlet, it is expected that a component of the suction force large enough to remove dust from the secondary filter cannot be obtained if the secondary filter is tilted significantly from the right-angle position. To avoid such a situation, in the above-mentioned configuration, an inclined portion is provided near the dust outlet to increase the area of ​​the secondary filter, while a bent portion is provided at a position away from the dust outlet, which is bent relative to the inclined portion so that the position is closer to a right angle than the inclined portion.

[0110] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter or the secondary filter may be bent so that protrusions are formed on the surface of the primary filter or the secondary filter.

[0111] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter or secondary filter is bent to form ridges on its surface, so the area of ​​the primary filter or secondary filter is larger than that of a filter with a flat surface by the amount of the ridges. Therefore, even if part of this filter becomes clogged, the airflow generated by the suction force of the suction source can flow into the drive chamber through other parts. In other words, this filter can maintain its filtering function for a long period of time.

[0112] In the above-described configuration, the protrusion may extend from a position close to the dust discharge port in a direction away from the dust discharge port.

[0113] In the above-described configuration, when a user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates the collection device, the suction force of the collection device causes air to flow within the dust storage space from a position far from the dust outlet to a position close to the dust outlet. The protrusions extend from a position close to the dust outlet in a direction away from the dust outlet, and this extension direction can be aligned with the air flow direction within the dust storage space. Therefore, dust flowing with the air within the dust storage space can flow along the protrusions without being caught on the protrusions.

[0114] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter and the secondary filter may be formed so that the gap between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases as they approach the dust outlet.

[0115] In the above configuration, when a user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates the collection device, the suction force of the collection device causes air to flow within the dust storage space from a position farther from the dust outlet to a position closer to the dust outlet. This airflow also carries dust within the dust storage space from a position farther from the dust outlet to a position closer to the dust outlet. Because the gap between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases from a position farther from the dust outlet to a position closer to the dust outlet, dust flowing from a position farther from the dust outlet to a position closer to the dust outlet is less likely to become trapped between the primary filter and the secondary filter.

[0116] In the above-described configuration, the filter section may have a deformation suppressing section that prevents the secondary filter from being curved and deformed toward the primary filter due to the dust suction force of the collection device.

[0117] In the above-described configuration, when a user connects the vacuum cleaner to the collection device and activates the collection device, the suction force of the collection device acts to draw the secondary filter toward the primary filter. This suction force causes the secondary filter to bend toward the primary filter, but this bending deformation is suppressed by the deformation suppression unit.

[0118] In the above-described configuration, the filter section may have a deformation suppressing section that prevents the primary filter from being curved and deformed toward the secondary filter due to the suction force of the suction source.

[0119] In the above-described configuration, the suction force of the suction source acts to draw the primary filter toward the secondary filter. The primary filter tends to bend toward the secondary filter due to this dust suction force, but this bending deformation is suppressed by the deformation suppression section.

[0120] In the above-described configuration, the deformation suppression portion may be disposed within the dust storage space. The deformation suppression portion may be formed with a through hole that allows passage of air flowing through the dust storage space toward the dust discharge port.

[0121] In the above-described configuration, because the deformation suppression unit is disposed within the dust storage space, even if the secondary filter attempts to bend toward the primary filter due to the suction force of the collection device, this bending deformation is prevented by the deformation suppression unit. Furthermore, even if the primary filter attempts to bend toward the secondary filter due to the suction force of the suction source, this bending deformation is prevented by the deformation suppression unit. In this case, the flow path of air flowing through the dust storage space may be narrowed by the deformation suppression unit, but because the deformation suppression unit has a through hole, even if the deformation suppression unit is disposed within the dust storage space, a fairly large flow path can be ensured for air flowing through the dust storage space. [Industrial Applicability]

[0122] The cleaning tool set of the above-described embodiment is suitably used in an apparatus used for cleaning work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 100··········vacuum cleaner 101 Cleaning tool set 111·············Housing 115 Filter section 116...Suction source 122 Exhaust port 124... Dust exhaust port 152·····························dust storage room 153 Drive compartment 171··············First-order filter 172 Second-order filter 173····························dust storage space 174,176... Slope section 175,177········Bend 178･････････････････････････････････････････････ 179... Dust extraction section 180... Dust exhaust path 181...On-off valve 182····································Inlet 183·············Opening and closing cover 184, 185 Deformation suppression section 188 Through hole 200 Recovery device

Claims

1. a vacuum cleaner having a housing forming a drive chamber accommodating a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking in dust, and a dust storage chamber that stores the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source, and a filter section disposed in the housing so as to separate the dust storage chamber from the drive chamber, and having a dust discharge port formed in communication with the dust storage chamber to allow the dust to be discharged from the dust storage chamber; a collection device that is connectable to the vacuum cleaner and that, when the vacuum cleaner is connected, generates a suction force to suck out dust in the dust storage chamber and collects dust from the dust storage chamber through the dust outlet, The filter unit includes: a primary filter configured to allow air sucked by the suction force of the suction source to pass through while retaining a portion of dust contained in the air in the dust storage chamber; a secondary filter located downstream of the primary filter in the flow direction of air sucked by the suction force of the suction source and having finer mesh than the primary filter; a dust discharge section that forms a dust discharge path that connects the dust storage chamber with the dust storage space, so that when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device, the suction force of the collection device allows dust that has accumulated in the dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter to be sucked out into the dust storage chamber.

2. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the filter unit has an on-off valve that opens and closes the dust discharge path.

3. The cleaning tool set according to claim 2, wherein the on-off valve is configured to be in a closed position to close the dust discharge path by the suction force of the suction source of the vacuum cleaner, and to be in an open position to open the dust discharge path by the weight of the on-off valve.

4. 4. The cleaning tool set according to claim 3, wherein the dust discharge path is open at a lower end of the dust storage space so as to allow dust in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path when the on-off valve is in the open position.

5. The cleaning tool set according to claim 2, wherein the on-off valve is biased to a closed position that closes the dust discharge path, and is configured to be biased to an open position that opens the dust discharge path by the dust suction force of the collection device connected to the dust discharge port.

6. the vacuum cleaner is formed with an exhaust port through which air sucked by the suction force of the suction source is discharged, the exhaust port being in communication with the drive chamber; The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the collection device is configured to generate a dust suction force large enough to suck air through the exhaust port when connected to the dust outlet.

7. The vacuum cleaner is formed with an exhaust port through which air sucked by the suction source is discharged, and an inlet through which air flows into the drive chamber by the suction force of the collection device when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device, and the exhaust port and the inlet are connected to the drive chamber; The inlet is provided at a position closer to the dust outlet than the exhaust outlet, The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cleaner has an opening / closing cover for opening and closing the inlet.

8. an inlet is formed on a surface of the vacuum cleaner opposite to the surface on which the dust outlet is formed, through which air flows into the drive chamber by the dust suction force of the collection device when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the collection device; The cleaning tool set according to claim 2 , wherein the dust discharge path is provided at a position closer to the dust discharge outlet than to the inlet.

9. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the primary filter or the secondary filter has an inclined portion that is inclined from a right-angled position that is perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber.

10. The first-order filter is an inclined portion inclined from a right angle relative to an alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber so that a corner formed by the housing and the primary filter on the dust storage chamber side has an obtuse angle; The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , further comprising a bent portion bent relative to the inclined portion so as to assume a posture closer to the right-angle posture than the inclined portion.

11. The second-order filter is an inclined portion inclined from a right-angle position perpendicular to the alignment direction of the dust storage chamber and the drive chamber; The cleaning tool set according to claim 1, further comprising: a bent portion that is located farther from the dust outlet than the inclined portion, bent relative to the inclined portion, and has a posture closer to the right-angle posture than the inclined portion.

12. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the primary filter or the secondary filter is bent so that a ridge is formed on a surface of the primary filter or the secondary filter.

13. The cleaning tool set according to claim 12 , wherein the protrusion extends from a position close to the dust discharge port in a direction away from the dust discharge port.

14. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the primary filter and the secondary filter are formed so that the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases as the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases toward the dust outlet.

15. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the filter portion has a deformation suppressing portion that prevents the secondary filter from being curved toward the primary filter due to the dust suction force of the collection device.

16. The cleaning tool set according to claim 1 , wherein the filter portion has a deformation suppressing portion that prevents the primary filter from being curved toward the secondary filter due to the suction force of the suction source.

17. The deformation suppression portion is disposed in the dust storage space, The cleaning tool set according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the deformation suppression portion has a through hole formed therein that allows passage of air flowing through the dust storage space toward the dust discharge port.

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