Electric cleaning system

Abstract

To provide an electric cleaning system capable of making an electric vacuum cleaner small and easy to maintain. [Solution] The electric cleaning system S comprises a vacuum cleaner 1 and a stand 2 on which the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted. The vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a suction tool 17 having a cleaning body 171 and a suction port 170, and a first dust collecting unit 12 that collects dust sucked into the suction port 170 by an airflow generated by a first electric blower 11. The stand 2 comprises a cleaning means 25 that removes dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and a second dust collecting unit 22 that collects dust sucked into the first dust collecting unit 12 by an airflow generated by a second electric blower 21. The dust removed from the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning means 25 is collected in the second dust collecting unit 22 via the first dust collecting unit 12 by operating the second electric blower 21.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the vacuum cleaner is mounted. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional vacuum cleaning system in which a vacuum cleaner is attached to a stand for storage after cleaning is completed, dust entangled in a rotating cleaning body of a suction tool provided on the vacuum cleaner is removed while the vacuum cleaner is attached to the stand and stored. In this configuration, in the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand, the rotating cleaning body is rotated by an electric motor, and dust is scraped off from the rotating cleaning body by a cleaning means on the stand, and the scraped dust is sucked into and collected by the suction action of an electric blower provided on the vacuum cleaner. As a result, the dust collected in the dust collecting body needs to be disposed of more frequently, and in order to reduce this frequency, the dust collecting body needs to be enlarged, making the vacuum cleaner heavier. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7472833 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electric cleaning system that can make the vacuum cleaner small and easy to maintain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The vacuum cleaner includes a suction tool having a cleaning element and a suction port, and a stand to which the vacuum cleaner is attached. a main body suction port communicating with the suction port; From the intake port Through the main body suction port a first electric blower for generating an airflow to be sucked; An opening communicating with the main body suction port is provided, a first dust collecting unit that collects dust sucked by the airflow generated by the first electric blower; a dust discharge port for discharging dust in the first dust collecting section; The stand includes a support part for supporting the vacuum cleaner, a base part for supporting the support part at an installation position, an opposing part facing the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand, and cleaning means disposed at the opposing part for removing dust adhering to the cleaning body of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand. a communication air passage formed inside the support portion and communicating with a dust exhaust port of the electric vacuum cleaner attached to the stand; a second electric blower for generating an airflow for sucking in dust; It communicates with the ventilation duct, a second dust collecting section that collects dust sucked by the airflow generated by the second electric blower; 。 By operating the second electric blower an airflow is generated that sucks dust from the suction port of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand through the main body suction port, the opening, the dust discharge port and the communicating air passage to the second dust collecting section, and the airflow causes the dust removed from the cleaning body by the cleaning means to be collected in the first dust collecting section of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand. Dust is collected in the second dust collection section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an electric cleaning system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the electric cleaning system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the vacuum cleaner of the electric cleaning system is in use. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stand of the electric cleaning system. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the electric cleaning system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] 1, 2, and 5, S denotes a cleaning system. The cleaning system S includes a vacuum cleaner 1 and a stand 2. The cleaning system S is configured so that when cleaning, the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and operated for use, and when cleaning is finished, the stopped vacuum cleaner 1 can be attached to the stand 2 for storage.

[0009] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a first power supply unit 10, which is a vacuum cleaner-side power supply unit, and is driven by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a first electric blower 11, which is a vacuum cleaner-side electric blower, and the suction action of first electric blower 11 collects dust in a first dust collecting unit 12, which is a vacuum cleaner-side dust collecting unit. The operation of first electric blower 11 is controlled by first control means 13, which is a vacuum cleaner-side control means. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 also has a grip unit 14 that is gripped by the user when performing cleaning operations. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is also equipped with an operation switch 15 that sets the operating operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, and the operating operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is controlled in response to the user's operation of operation switch 15.

[0010] 1 to 3 is, for example, a handheld or stick-type vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaner 1 includes vacuum cleaner main body 16, to which an attachment, suction tool 17, is connected directly or via a tube 18. The figures show an example in which suction tool 17 is connected to vacuum cleaner main body 16 via tube 18. Vacuum cleaner 1 is detachable from stand 2; it is removed from stand 2 when in use, and is attached and supported by stand 2 when cleaning is finished or when stored.

[0011] In this embodiment, a cordless electric vacuum cleaner is exemplified, in which the first power supply unit 10 is a DC power supply unit such as a secondary battery or a battery, but it may also be a cord reel device that draws power from a commercial power source. The first power supply unit 10 is disposed, for example, inside the grip unit 14. However, the first power supply unit 10 is not limited to this, and may also be disposed inside the vacuum cleaner main body 16, etc.

[0012] First electric blower 11 can be operated by power supplied from first power supply unit 10. The operation of first electric blower 11 is controlled by first control means 13 controlling the power supply from first power supply unit 10.

[0013] The dust separation method of the first dust collecting section 12 may be any method, but in the example shown, a cyclone separation type or centrifugal separation type dust collecting section is used, which separates dust from air by swirling the dust-containing air.

[0014] A microcomputer is preferably used as the first control means 13. The first control means 13 is operable by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. A signal corresponding to an operation of an operation switch 15 by a user is input to the first control means 13.

[0015] The grip portion 14 is formed integrally with the vacuum cleaner main body 16. However, the grip portion 14 may be formed integrally with the tube body 18 depending on the configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1.

[0016] The cleaner main body 16 is formed in an elongated shape. The cleaner main body 16 houses the first control means 13, the first electric blower 11, and the first dust collecting unit 12. For example, the first electric blower 11 and the first dust collecting unit 12 are arranged coaxially or approximately coaxially in the longitudinal direction of the cleaner main body 16. The cleaner main body 16 is formed with a main body suction port 160 that communicates with the suction side of the first electric blower 11 via the first dust collecting unit 12, and a main body exhaust port 161 for exhaust that communicates with the exhaust side of the first electric blower 11. In this embodiment, the cleaner main body 16 is also formed with a dust discharge port 162 that communicates with the first dust collecting unit 12. The dust discharge port 162 is a portion that discharges dust collected in the first dust collecting unit 12 so that it can be transferred to the stand 2 side. Dust discharge port 162 can be opened and closed by opening / closing means 163 such as an opening / closing valve, and is closed when vacuum cleaner 1 is being used to collect dust in first dust collecting section 12, and is opened when the dust collected in first dust collecting section 12 is transferred from first dust collecting section 12 to stand 2. Opening and closing of opening / closing means 163 may be controlled electrically, or may be controlled mechanically depending on, for example, the attachment of vacuum cleaner 1 to electric cleaning device 1. Dust discharge port 162 and opening / closing means 163 may be formed in first dust collecting section 12.

[0017] Suction tool 17 is also called a suction port body, floor brush, suction head, etc. Suction tool 17 is formed long in the left-right direction as seen from the user, that is, horizontally long. Suction tool 17 has suction port 170. Suction port 170 is used to suck dust into first dust collecting unit 12 by the airflow generated by first electric blower 11. In other words, a cleaning air passage is formed from suction port 170 to first dust collecting unit 12 to suck dust during cleaning. Suction port 170 is located at least in the lower part of suction tool 17.

[0018] Furthermore, cleaning body 171 is disposed in suction tool 17. Cleaning body 171 removes dust from the part to be cleaned, such as the floor, during cleaning. Cleaning body 171 is located at least below suction tool 17. Cleaning body 171 may be disposed, for example, inside suction port 170 or in a position close to suction port 170, as long as it is located in a position where dust removed from the part to be cleaned can be sucked in through suction port 170.

[0019] The cleaning element 171 may be static or dynamic, but preferably a rotating cleaning element is used. That is, the cleaning element 171 is preferably configured to remove dust by rotation. In this case, the cleaning element 171 is formed in a cylindrical shape, with a cleaning member disposed on its outer circumferential surface. The cleaning element 171 is an electrically driven type that is rotated by a cleaning element motor 172. The cleaning element motor 172 is disposed inside the suction tool 17. The cleaning element motor 172 is operable by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. The operation of the cleaning element motor 172 is controlled by the first control means 13 controlling the power supply from the first power supply unit 10. The cleaning element motor 172 has lower power consumption or less power than the first electric blower 11. The cleaning element motor 172 rotates the cleaning element 171 at high speed.

[0020] The operation switch 15 is disposed on the vacuum cleaner main body 16 or the tube body 18. The operation switch 15 can switch on and off the operation of the first electric blower 11. In this embodiment, the operation switch 15 can switch on and off the operation of the cleaning element motor 172 for rotating the cleaning element 171 and / or the operating speed of the cleaning element motor 172, i.e., the rotation speed of the cleaning element 171. During cleaning, the cleaning element motor 172 is preferably turned on and off in conjunction with the on and off of the first electric blower 11 in response to operation of the operation switch 15, but may also be turned on and off by the operation switch 15 independently of the first electric blower 11 while the first electric blower 11 is in operation.

[0021] In this embodiment, tube body 18 is an extension tube formed in a straight tube shape. Preferably, tube body 18 is detachable from vacuum cleaner body 16 and suction tool 17, allowing the vacuum cleaner 1 to be used selectively in one of the following states: a state in which tube body 18 and suction tool 17 are not used, a handheld state in which suction tool 17 is directly connected to vacuum cleaner body suction port 160, and a stick state in which suction tool 17 is connected to tube body 18 and tube body 18 is connected to vacuum cleaner body suction port 160. Furthermore, tube body 18 is not limited to a straight tube shape, and depending on the configuration of vacuum cleaner 1, tube body 18 may have a flexible portion such as a hose body.

[0022] Preferably, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes first attachment detection means 19, which is attachment detection means serving as cleaner-side attachment detection means that detects attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2. In other words, the first attachment detection means 19 is stand detection means that detects the stand 2 to which the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached. The first attachment detection means 19 may be a contact or non-contact sensor, or may be a mechanical switch or the like. The first attachment detection means 19 is arranged in the vacuum cleaner main body 16. The detection result by the first attachment detection means 19 is input to the first control means 13.

[0023] The stand 2 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 is an example of a stationary type that is installed and used as a dust collection device that transfers dust collected in the first dust collecting section 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1, i.e., installed on an installation location such as a floor. In this embodiment, the stand 2 is described as being attached to the vacuum cleaner 1 in a stick-like state. However, the stand 2 may also be attached in a handheld state with the tube body 18 attached separately. Hereinafter, the up-down direction will be described based on the stand 2 being installed in a horizontal installation position. Regarding the front-to-back direction, the side facing the user is defined as the front direction, and the opposite side is defined as the rear direction. Furthermore, the left-to-right direction is based on the direction viewed from the front of the stand 2. In the figures, the direction of arrow U is defined as the up direction, the direction of arrow D is defined as the down direction, the direction of arrow FR is defined as the forward direction, the direction of arrow RR is defined as the rearward direction, the direction of arrow L is defined as the leftward direction, and the direction of arrow R is defined as the rightward direction.

[0024] The stand 2 includes a second power supply unit 20, which is a stand-side power supply unit, and is driven by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20. In this embodiment, the second power supply unit 20 has a power plug 200 and a power cord 201 for taking power from an external power source such as a commercial power source, and converts the power supplied from the external power source via the power plug 200 and supplies it to each unit.

[0025] Stand 2 is provided with second electric blower 21, which is a stand-side electric blower, and the suction action of second electric blower 21 transfers dust in first dust collecting section 12 or dust in first dust collecting section 12 and dust removed from cleaning body 171 to second dust collecting section 22, which is a stand-side dust collecting section. The operation of second electric blower 21 is controlled by second control means 23.

[0026] Second electric blower 21 is operated by power supplied from second power supply unit 20. The operation of second electric blower 21 is controlled by second control means 23 controlling the power supply from second power supply unit 20. Second electric blower 21 preferably has greater power consumption or greater power than first electric blower 11.

[0027] The second dust collecting section 22 may use any dust separation method, but in the illustrated example, a filter or dust collecting bag is used to filter and collect dust from dust-laden air. Preferably, the second dust collecting section 22 has a larger dust accumulation capacity than the first dust collecting section 12.

[0028] A microcomputer is preferably used as the second control means 23. The second control means 23 can be operated by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20.

[0029] The second power supply unit 20, the second electric blower 21, the second dust collecting unit 22 and the second control means 23 are disposed in the stand main body 24.

[0030] The stand main body 24 has a support column 240. The support column 240 supports the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2. The support column 240 is formed elongated in the vertical direction. A support section 2400 that supports the vacuum cleaner main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is formed at the front of the support column 240. The vacuum cleaner main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the support section 2400 from above. A communication air passage 2401 that communicates with the second dust collecting section 22 is formed inside the support column 240. Furthermore, a connection port 2402 that serves as an entrance to the communication air passage 2401 is opened at the front of the support column 240. The connection port 2402 is connected to and communicates with the dust discharge port 162 of the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2. The connection port 2402 is located above the support column 2400.

[0031] The stand main body 24 has a base 241. The base 241 is placed at the placement position and supports the support column 240 relative to the placement position. The support column 240 is positioned to protrude from the upper part of the base 241. The second electric blower 21, the second dust collecting unit 22, and the second control means 23 are disposed inside the base 241. The second dust collecting unit 22 is detachable from the base 241. In the illustrated example, the base 241 is formed to be large in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the support column 240. The base 241 is formed with a stand exhaust port 2410 for discharging the exhaust air from the second electric blower 21. The stand exhaust port 2410 is located, for example, on the side of the base 241. A power cord 201 is led out from the base 241, and a power plug 200 is connected to the tip of the power cord 201.

[0032] The stand main body 24 also has a facing portion 242. The facing portion 242 protrudes forward from the lower portion of the base portion 241. The facing portion 242 is positioned so as to face up and down to the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2. The facing portion 242 may be a mounting portion that comes into contact with the lower portion of the suction tool 17, or it may not come into contact with the lower portion of the suction tool 17. In this embodiment, the upper portion of the facing portion 242 is a facing surface 2420 that faces the cleaning element 171. The facing surface 2420 is an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the front.

[0033] Furthermore, the stand 2 is equipped with a cleaning means 25. The cleaning means 25 removes dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2. The cleaning means 25 is disposed in the facing part 240 of the stand main body 24, and is located opposite the lower part of the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2. In the example shown, the cleaning means 25 is disposed at the upper part of the facing part 242, and is located on the facing surface 2420. The cleaning means 25 is also disposed longitudinally in the left-right direction so as to coincide or approximately coincide with the longitudinal direction of the cleaning body 171.

[0034] The cleaning means 25 can be in close proximity to or slightly in contact with the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. The cleaning means 25 may have any configuration as long as it can remove dust entangled in the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. For example, if the cleaning body 171 is dynamic, the cleaning means 25 may be static, such as a comb-like blade, but the cleaning means 25 is preferably dynamic. In this embodiment, the cleaning means 25 is an example of an electric type having a cutter 250, which is a blade that cuts dust, and a cutter motor 251 that drives the cutter 250. The cutter motor 251 can be operated by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20. The cutter 250 cuts dust by, for example, being reciprocated back and forth by the cutter motor 251. The cutter motor 251 consumes less power or consumes less power than the second electric blower 21. The operation of the cutter motor 251 is controlled, for example, by the second control means 23.

[0035] Preferably, the stand 2 is provided with second attachment detection means 26, which is attachment detection means serving as stand-side attachment detection means that detects attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2. In other words, the second attachment detection means 26 is vacuum cleaner detection means that detects that the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2. The second attachment detection means 26 may be a contact or non-contact sensor, or may be a mechanical switch or the like. The second attachment detection means 26 is arranged in the stand main body 24. In the example shown in the figure, the attachment detection means 26 is arranged in the support 240. The detection result by the second attachment detection means 26 is input to the second control means 23.

[0036] Furthermore, the stand 2 may be equipped with a function for charging the first power supply unit 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1. For example, the stand 2 may be configured to supply charging power for charging the first power supply unit 10 from the second power supply unit 20. The charging circuit for the first power supply unit 10 may be located in the vacuum cleaner 1 or in the stand 2. The charging circuit is configured to charge the first power supply unit 10 at least when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, i.e., when attachment detection means detects that the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2.

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

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the stand 2 is installed in an installation position such that it does not get in the way in the room, and the power plug 200 is connected to a wall socket (outlet) C so that it is ready to receive power from an external power source.

[0039] When cleaning, the user removes the vacuum cleaner 1 from the stand 2. For example, when the user grasps the grip portion 14 of the vacuum cleaner 1 and removes it from the stand 2, the opening / closing means 163 shown in FIG. 1 closes the dust discharge port 162. Then, when the user operates the operation switch 15 to set the operation of the first electric blower 11, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the first power supply unit 10 to the first electric blower 11 in accordance with the setting, thereby operating the first electric blower 11. Furthermore, in the embodiment in which a suction tool 17 is used as shown in FIG. 3, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the first power supply unit 10 to the cleaning element motor 172, thereby rotating the cleaning element 171. The user places the suction tool 17 on the part to be cleaned and moves the entire electric vacuum cleaner 1 back and forth using the grip part 14, while the rotation of the cleaning body 171 scrapes out dust from the part to be cleaned, and the airflow generated by the operation of the first electric blower 11 sucks the dust together with air into the cleaning air duct through the suction port 170 of the suction tool 17.

[0040] The sucked dust-laden air is introduced into first dust collecting section 12 through main body suction port 160, where dust is separated from the air and collected. The air from which dust has been separated is discharged to the outside of vacuum cleaner main body 16 through main body exhaust port 161 while cooling first electric blower 11.

[0041] When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 1 is finished, the user operates the operation switch 15 to stop the first electric blower 11 and the cleaning element motor 172, and then attaches the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. For example, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2 by placing the vacuum cleaner main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 from above the front side on the support part 2400 of the support column 240 of the stand 2. In this attached state, the lower part of the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is positioned above or on the surface of the opposing surface 2420 of the opposing part 242 of the stand 2, and the cleaning means 25, such as the cutter 250 (shown in Figure 2), comes close to or into contact with the cleaning element 171.

[0042] Furthermore, with this attachment, opening / closing means 163 of vacuum cleaner 1 opens dust discharge port 162, which airtightly connects dust discharge port 162 to connection port 2402 of stand 2, and first dust collecting section 12 communicates with second dust collecting section 22 via communication air passage 2401. Therefore, suction port 170 of suction tool 17 also communicates with second dust collecting section 22 via the cleaning air passage, first dust collecting section 12, and communication air passage 2401.

[0043] In the electric vacuum cleaner 1, based on the detection result of the first attachment detection means 19 shown in FIG. 2, the first control means 13 operates the cleaning element motor 172 to rotate the cleaning element 171 at a high speed, for example, at a predetermined speed.

[0044] In the stand 2, the second control means 23 operates the second electric blower 21 based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26. In this embodiment, the second control means 23 also operates the cutter motor 251 to drive the cutter 250 based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26.

[0045] Here, "based on the detection result of the attachment detection means" means that the detection of attachment by the attachment detection means is at least one of the conditions. That is, one or more conditions may be added in addition to the detection of attachment by the attachment detection means, or there may be no additional conditions. For example, additional conditions may be any of the following: a predetermined time has elapsed since the attachment detection means detected attachment; the opening / closing means 163 has opened to connect the first dust collecting unit 12 and the second dust collecting unit 22; the user has performed a predetermined operation such as operating a predetermined switch; or the arrival of an operation start time set by the user. Furthermore, a condition may be a combination of any of these conditions.

[0046] The timing at which the cleaning element motor 172 or cleaning element 171 starts operating and the timing at which the cutter motor 251 or cutter 250 starts operating may be the same or different. Preferably, the cutter motor 251 or cutter 250 starts operating after the cleaning element motor 172 or cleaning element 171 starts operating. Note that hereinafter, "after" means "simultaneously or later." Also, it is preferable that the cleaning element motor 172 or cleaning element 171 and the cutter motor 251 or cutter 250 are controlled so that there is at least a period during which they operate simultaneously. In this case, by driving the cutter 250 while the cleaning element 171 rotates at high speed, dust lifted from the cleaning member of the cleaning element 171 by the centrifugal force of the rotation of the cleaning element 171 is cut off by the cutter 250 over the entire cleaning element 171. Furthermore, since the cleaning member is bent in the rotational direction due to rotation, the cutter 250 does not come into direct contact with the cleaning member or cleaning body 171, and damage to the cleaning member or cleaning body 171 by the cutter 250 is prevented.

[0047] The timing at which the cleaning element motor 172 or the cleaning element 171 is stopped may be the same as or different from the timing at which the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 is stopped. The first control means 13 may, for example, operate the cleaning element motor 172 for a preset time, or if the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, may operate it until a preset voltage is reached depending on the remaining charge or voltage of the secondary battery, or may operate it until a timing that has a predetermined relationship with the timing at which the cutter motor 251 and the second electric blower 21 are stopped. The second control means 23 may, for example, operate the cutter motor 251 for a preset time, or may operate it until a timing that has a predetermined relationship with the timing at which the cleaning element motor 172 and the second electric blower 21 are stopped. Preferably, the timing at which the cleaning element motor 172 or the cleaning element 171 is stopped is after the timing at which the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 is stopped.

[0048] The dust cut by the cleaning means 25 is carried from the cleaning air passage to the first dust collecting section 12 via the suction port 170 by the airflow generated by the operation of the second electric blower 21, and then transferred together with the dust in the first dust collecting section 12 through the communication air passage 2401 to the second dust collecting section 22 and collected in the second dust collecting section 22. Note that the timing at which the second electric blower 21 starts operating is preferably after the start of operation of at least one of the cleaning element motor 172 or the cleaning element 171 and the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250. The operating period of the second electric blower 21 may or may not overlap with the operating period of at least one of the cleaning element motor 172 or the cleaning element 171 and the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250. That is, the timing at which the second electric blower 21 starts operating may be before, at the same time as, or after the timing at which the cleaning element motor 172 or cleaning element 171 and / or the cutter motor 251 or cutter 250 stop operating. In addition, it is preferable that the timing at which the second electric blower 21 stops is after the timing at which at least the cutter motor 251 or cutter 250 stops operating.

[0049] For example, second control means 23 may operate second electric blower 21 for a preset time, or may operate second electric blower 21 until a predetermined condition related to dust transfer is met, such as detecting that a predetermined amount of dust or more has been transferred from inside first dust collecting section 12. The operation time of second electric blower 21 may be a fixed time, or may be a time arbitrarily set by the user. For example, it is also possible to perform processing such as forcibly stopping the operation of second electric blower 21 when the user performs a predetermined operation such as operating a switch.

[0050] The second dust collecting section 22 to which the dust has been transferred can be removed from the stand 2 as needed, and the dust collected inside or the dust collecting bag used as the second dust collecting section 22 can be disposed of.

[0051] As described above, in one embodiment, the dust removed by the cleaning means 25 of the stand 2 from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2 is collected in the second dust collecting section 22 of the stand 2 together with the dust collected in the first dust collecting section 12 by operating the second electric blower 21 of the stand 2 via the first dust collecting section 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, when the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the dust collected in the first dust collecting section 12 and the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 can be transferred to the second dust collecting section 22 basically automatically without requiring much effort. Therefore, the user does not have to dispose of dust or maintain the cleaning body 171 on the vacuum cleaner 1 as frequently as possible, making maintenance of the vacuum cleaner 1 easier. Furthermore, there is no need to store the dust removed from the suction tool 17 in the first dust collection section 12, and since the dust is transferred from the first dust collection section 12 each time cleaning is completed and the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, there is no need to store a large amount of dust in the first dust collection section 12, and the first dust collection section 12 can be made smaller and lighter, allowing the vacuum cleaner 1 to be made smaller and lighter.

[0052] In particular, by making the dust collection capacity of second dust collection section 22 larger than that of first dust collection section 12, the number of times the user has to dispose of collected dust can be reduced. Also, since there is no need to increase the dust collection capacity of first dust collection section 12, it is possible to prevent the vacuum cleaner 1 from becoming larger and heavier due to an increase in the size of first dust collection section 12.

[0053] Moreover, when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and used, it can be used in a state where there is basically no dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 12, so cleaning can be performed while ensuring good suction power by the first electric blower 11.

[0054] Furthermore, when the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 is transferred to the second dust collecting section 22, it passes through the normal cleaning air duct that runs from the suction port 170 to the first dust collecting section 12 and is used for cleaning with the electric vacuum cleaner 1, so there is no need to form a separate dedicated air duct for transfer, and the configuration is simple.

[0055] Furthermore, since the second power supply unit 20 draws power from an external power source such as a commercial power source, it is possible to operate the second electric blower 21, which has a higher power output, regardless of the remaining charge in the first power supply unit 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and compared to when using limited power such as a battery, and thus dust can be efficiently sucked into the second dust collection unit 22.

[0056] Furthermore, by operating the second electric blower 21 based on the detection results of the second attachment detection means 26 which detects attachment of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the operation of removing dust from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 will not start unless at least the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, so the second electric blower 21 can be operated only when the second dust collecting section 22 and the first dust collecting section 13 are connected via the communicating air passage 2401, and dust on the electric vacuum cleaner 1 side can be reliably transferred to the second dust collecting section 22.

[0057] For example, by configuring the cleaning means 25 so that a cutter 250 that cuts dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 is operated by a cutter motor 251, thread-like debris such as hair and fibers entangled in the cleaning body 171 can be cut by the operation of the cutter 250 and efficiently removed.

[0058] Furthermore, by operating the cutter motor 251 based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26 that detects attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the cutter 250 of the cleaning means 25 will not start operating unless at least the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, thereby preventing the cutter 250 from operating at an unintended timing.

[0059] In this embodiment, the cleaning element 171 is a rotating cleaning element that is rotationally driven by the cleaning element motor 172, and therefore, it is possible to efficiently clean dust on the area to be cleaned by the rotation of the cleaning element 171. Furthermore, for example, when dust adhering to the cleaning element 171 is removed by the cleaning means 25, by rotating the cleaning element 171 by the cleaning element motor 172, the dust can be removed evenly and efficiently from the cleaning element 171 by the cleaning means 25.

[0060] Furthermore, when removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171, the first electric blower 11 is not operated, but the cleaning body motor 172, which consumes less power or has less power than the first electric blower 11, is operated. Therefore, for example, if the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, it can be driven even if the remaining charge is not large, and since the capacity of the first power supply unit 10 is consumed less, the decrease in the remaining charge of the first power supply unit 10 can be suppressed, and it can be driven for a relatively long time.

[0061] In addition, by operating the cleaning body motor 172 based on the detection result from the first attachment detection means 19 that detects attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the cleaning body 171 can be rotated at least with the vacuum cleaner 1 attached to the stand 2, and dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 can be removed by the cleaning means 25.

[0062] Furthermore, by combining the cleaning means 25 with a configuration in which a cutter 250 that cuts dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 is operated by a cutter motor 251, and a configuration in which the cleaning body 171 is a rotating cleaning body that is driven to rotate by a cleaning body motor 172, and by operating each of these when removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171, the dust can be cut by the cutter 250 while the cleaning body 171 is rotating, and dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 can be removed more efficiently.

[0063] Furthermore, by operating the cleaning body motor 172 and the cutter motor 251 based on the detection results of the attachment detection means 19, 26 that detect the attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the cleaning body 171 can be rotated while the cutter 250 cuts the dust while at least the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, thereby efficiently removing the dust.

[0064] Furthermore, by setting the start of operation of the cutter 250 by the cutter motor 251 to occur after the start of rotation of the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning body motor 172, the cutter 250 cuts dust while the cleaning body 171 is rotating, thereby preventing the cut dust from being concentrated in one part of the cleaning body 171.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the first control means 13 is configured to control the operations of the first electric blower 11 and the cleaning body motor 172, but the control means for controlling these may be set separately.

[0066] Similarly, the second control means 23 is configured to control the operations of the second electric blower 21 and the cutter motor 251, but the control means for controlling these may be set separately.

[0067] Furthermore, as long as one of the cleaning body 171 and the cleaning means 25 is dynamic, the other may be static. In other words, it is not essential that both the cleaning body 171 and the cleaning means 25 be electrically driven. For example, if the cleaning body 171 is static, the power of the first power supply unit 10 is not consumed when the cleaning means 25 removes dust. Therefore, if the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, the cleaning means 25 can remove dust at the same time as the first power supply unit 10 is charged.

[0068] Furthermore, although an example has been described in which the attachment detection means for detecting that the electric vacuum cleaner 1 has been attached to the stand 2 and operating the second electric blower 21 and the attachment detection means for operating the cutter 250 are the same, these attachment detection means may be different from each other.

[0069] Furthermore, although an example has been shown in which the attachment detection means is provided in each of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and the stand 2, it is sufficient that the attachment detection means is provided in at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and the stand 2.

[0070] Furthermore, the cleaning means 25 is not limited to one equipped with the cutter 250 that cuts the dust, but may have any configuration, such as one that catches and removes the dust, or one that absorbs or blows it away.

[0071] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] S Electric Cleaning System 1 vacuum cleaner 2 Stand 11 First electric blower 12 First dust collection section 17 Suction tool 19 First attachment detection means which is attachment detection means 21 Second electric blower 22 Second dust collection section 25 Cleaning means 26 Second attachment detection means which is attachment detection means 170 Intake port 171 Cleaning Body 172 Electric motor for cleaning body 240 Post section 241 Pedestal 242 Opposite part 250 Cutter 251 Cutter motor

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the vacuum cleaner is mounted, The vacuum cleaner comprises: a suction tool having a cleaning body and a suction port; a main body suction port communicating with the suction port; a first electric blower that generates an airflow that is sucked from the suction port through the main body suction port; a first dust collecting unit that has an opening communicating with the main body suction port and that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the first electric blower; a dust discharge port for discharging dust in the first dust collecting section, The stand is a support column for supporting the vacuum cleaner; a base portion that supports the support portion at an installation position; a facing portion facing the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand; a cleaning means disposed at the opposing portion and configured to remove dust adhering to the cleaning body of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand; a communication air passage formed inside the support column and communicating with the dust discharge port of the vacuum cleaner attached to the stand; a second electric blower that generates an airflow that sucks in dust; a second dust collecting section communicating with the communication air passage and configured to collect dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the second electric blower, By operating the second electric blower, an airflow is generated that is sucked from the suction port of the suction tool of the electric vacuum cleaner attached to the stand through the main body suction port, the opening, the dust discharge port and the communication air passage to the second dust collecting section, and the dust removed from the cleaning body by the cleaning means is collected in the second dust collecting section together with the dust collected in the first dust collecting section of the electric vacuum cleaner attached to the stand by this airflow. An electric cleaning system.

2. an attachment detection means disposed on at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the stand, for detecting attachment of the vacuum cleaner to the stand; The second electric blower is operated based on the detection result by the attachment detection means.

2. The electric vacuum system of claim 1.

3. The cleaning means is a cutter that cuts off dust adhering to the cleaning body; a cutter motor for operating the cutter; 2. The electric vacuum system of claim 1.

4. an attachment detection means disposed on at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the stand, for detecting attachment of the vacuum cleaner to the stand; The cutter motor is operated based on the detection result by the attachment detection means.

4. The electric vacuum system of claim 3.

5. the cleaning element is a rotating cleaning element, The suction tool includes a cleaning element motor that rotates the cleaning element.

2. The electric vacuum system of claim 1.

6. an attachment detection means disposed on at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the stand, for detecting attachment of the vacuum cleaner to the stand; The cleaning element motor is operated based on the detection result by the attachment detection means.

6. The electric vacuum system of claim 5.

7. The cleaning means is a cutter that cuts off dust adhering to the cleaning body; a cutter motor for operating the cutter, the cleaning element is a rotating cleaning element, The suction tool includes a cleaning element motor that rotates the cleaning element.

2. The electric vacuum system of claim 1.

8. an attachment detection means disposed on at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the stand, for detecting attachment of the vacuum cleaner to the stand; The cleaning element motor and the cutter motor are operated based on the detection result by the attachment detection means.

8. The electric vacuum system of claim 7.

9. The cutter motor starts to operate the cutter after the cleaning element motor starts to rotate the cleaning element.

9. The electric vacuum system of claim 8.

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