Suction mouth body and vacuum cleaner equipped with same

Abstract

To achieve appropriate cooling of a motor.SOLUTION: A suction port body includes a case which stores a rotary cleaning body and a motor. The case includes: a first storage chamber for storing the rotary cleaning body; a second storage chamber separated from the first storage chamber by a partition wall inside the case so as to store the motor; a first support body formed over the motor so as to support the motor with respect to the case and to divide the second storage chamber into one side space and the other side space; suction ports formed in an outer wall of the case opposing to the partition wall so as to allow the one side space to communicate with an outside of the case; and communication ports formed in the partition wall so as to allow the other side space to communicate with the suction ports of the case. In the first support body, a connection point with the partition wall and a connection point with the outer wall of the case are positioned to be mutually deviated in an axial direction of the motor, and a suction port formation area in the outer wall of the case and a communication port formation area in the partition wall are mutually overlapped in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a suction mouth body and an electric vacuum cleaner including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A suction port body for a vacuum cleaner includes a case in which a suction port is formed, and in which a rotary cleaning body and a motor are housed. When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner, the motor is operated and its rotational power is transmitted to the rotary cleaning body, causing the rotary cleaning body to rotate, and the rotary cleaning body scrapes off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned, such as a floor, thereby promoting the movement of the dust toward the suction port and enabling efficient removal of the dust.

[0003] Here, motors need to be cooled appropriately to prevent thermal demagnetization caused by heat generation during operation. Since the effects of thermal demagnetization are significant in motors that use neodymium magnets, more efficient cooling is required.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a suction port body and a vacuum cleaner in which a motor is supported by a rib-like support that protrudes from the inner surface of the case, and the motor housing chamber is divided into two by this support. Within the motor housing chamber, the space on one side of the support communicates with the outside of the case through the suction port, while the space on the other side communicates with the suction port through a communication port. When the vacuum cleaner is in operation, negative pressure acting on the suction port acts on the motor housing chamber through the communication port, and outside air is introduced through the suction port, which cools the motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-049128 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the suction port body disclosed in Patent Document 1, the support body is formed in a straight line and positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the motor. Therefore, the suction port and the communication port are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the motor, making it difficult to ensure a large opening area for each of the suction port and the communication port, leaving room for improvement.

[0007] Specifically, if the space on one side of the support is expanded to increase the opening area of ​​the intake port, the space on the other side will shrink, and the opening area of ​​the communication port will have to be reduced; on the other hand, if the space on the other side of the support is expanded to increase the opening area of ​​the communication port, the space on one side will shrink, and the opening area of ​​the intake port will have to be reduced.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a suction port body and an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the same that achieve both the securing of the opening area of ​​the suction port and the securing of the opening area of ​​the communication port, and contribute to more stable operation of the electric vacuum cleaner through appropriate cooling of the motor that drives the rotating cleaning body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, an suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case having an suction port, a rotary cleaning body housed in the case and contacting a surface to be cleaned to promote the detachment of dust from the surface to be cleaned, a motor housed in the case, and a power transmission body housed in the case and transmitting the rotational power of the motor to the rotary cleaning body. The motor includes a housing part having an air inlet and an air outlet formed offset in the axial direction of the motor with respect to the air inlet and communicating with the air inlet through the interior of the motor. The case includes a first housing chamber that houses the rotary cleaning body, a second housing chamber that is separated from the first housing chamber by a partition wall inside the case and that houses the motor, a first support formed to straddle the motor and support the motor with respect to the case, and that divides the second housing chamber into a space on one side facing the air inlet and a space on the other side facing the air outlet, and a second support formed on an outer wall of the case opposite the partition wall and that connects the space on one side of the second housing chamber to the outside of the case. This allows outside air to flow directly into the space on one side. and a communication port formed in the partition wall for connecting the space on the other side of the second housing chamber to the suction port. The first support has a connection point to the partition wall and a connection point to the outer wall of the case that are offset from each other in the axial direction of the motor. and has at least a portion extending in the axial direction of the motor. The area where the intake port is formed in the outer wall of the case and the area where the communication port is formed in the partition wall are With the above part in between They overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the motor.

[0010] An electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the suction mouth body, a vacuum cleaner body having a dust collecting unit connected to the suction mouth body and configured to collect dust sucked through the suction mouth body, and an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a suction mouth body provided in the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the suction mouth body as viewed from the left front with respect to the traveling direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the same suction port body as viewed from the left rear diagonally with respect to the direction of travel. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view showing the suction port body with the upper cover of the case removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view showing the suction port body of the same as above with the top cover of the case removed, and further with the motor and transmission unit removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the upper cover of the case of the same suction port body as viewed from the back side. [Figure 9] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the suction mouth body taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the suction port body taken along line BB in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

[0014] In this embodiment, the electric vacuum cleaner C is a so-called stick vacuum cleaner, and includes a vacuum cleaner main body 1, an electric blower 2, a suction port body 3, and an air passage body 4. The electric vacuum cleaner C applies negative pressure generated by the electric blower 2 to the suction port body 3, causing dust present on the surface F to be cleaned to be sucked into the suction port body 3, and the dust sucked into the suction port body 3 is sucked into the vacuum cleaner main body 1 via the air passage body 4, where it accumulates in the dust collection section 12 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. The surface F to be cleaned is, for example, the floor of a house.

[0015] Here, the air containing dust sucked into suction port body 3 is referred to as "dust-containing air." The dust-containing air sucked into vacuum cleaner body 1 is separated into air and dust by dust collection section 12, the dust accumulates in dust collection section 12, and the air passes through dust collection section 12 and is discharged to the outside of vacuum cleaner body 1 from exhaust port 11e provided in vacuum cleaner body 1 via electric blower 2.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner body 1 includes a body case 11 and a dust collecting section 12.

[0017] Body case 11 has a chamber for accommodating electric blower 2 and is equipped with inlet 11i and outlet 11e, with a flow passage (not shown) formed inside that runs from inlet 11i to outlet 11e via dust collection unit 12. Body case 11 is equipped with handle 111 that a user can hold in their hand when cleaning with vacuum cleaner C, incorporates body control unit 112, and further has operating unit 113 located on or near handle 111. In Figure 1, the outlines of electric blower 2 and body control unit 112 are schematically shown by dashed lines.

[0018] Operating unit 113 is provided within a range that can be operated by the user's thumb when holding gripping unit 111 with four fingers excluding the thumb, and transmits an electrical signal in response to the user's operation to main body control unit 112. In this embodiment, operating unit 113 includes an operation start switch 113a and an operation mode selector switch 113b, and operation start switch 113a switches between operating and stopping of vacuum cleaner C, and operation mode selector switch 113b switches the load on electric blower 2, in other words, the flow rate of air sucked through suction port body 3.

[0019] The main body control unit 112 is implemented as a control circuit board and is placed in a housing provided in the main body case 11. The main body control unit 112 includes a microprocessor, an input / output interface, and various storage devices, and executes predetermined calculations stored in advance based on electrical signals from the operation unit 113 to generate command signals.

[0020] Dust collection unit 12 is detachable from main body case 11, and separates dust-laden air sucked into vacuum cleaner main body 1 through suction port body 3 into air and dust by, for example, centrifugal separation, taking advantage of the difference in mass, and collects the dust. Dust collected in dust collection unit 12 can be disposed of by removing dust collection unit 12 from main body case 11. In this embodiment, dust collection unit 12 is cylindrical overall, and is attached to main body case 11 with its central axis Ax2 parallel to the central axis Ax1 of air passage body 4, which will be described later.

[0021] In addition to the above, vacuum cleaner main body 1 is equipped with secondary battery 13 as a power source. Secondary battery 13 is detachable from main body case 11, and stores power to be supplied to electric blower 2 and main body control unit 112. When attached to main body case 11, secondary battery 13 supplies power to electric blower 2 and the like via terminals provided on main body case 11.

[0022] Electric blower 2 is placed in a storage chamber formed inside vacuum cleaner body 1, and operates using secondary battery 13 as its power source. Electric blower 2 includes a case, a fan, and a motor, with the fan and motor housed in the case as a single unit. Electric blower 2 receives a command signal from main body control unit 112, and when the motor operates in response to the command signal, the fan rotates due to the rotational power thereof, generating negative pressure on suction port body 3.

[0023] The suction port body 3, also called the cleaner head, has a suction port 31a for sucking in dust on the surface to be cleaned F, and forms a flow passage that continues from the suction port 31a to the air passage body 4, which will be described next. In this embodiment, the suction port body 3 houses a rotary cleaning body 32 and also incorporates a motor 33 and a power transmission body 34 that transmits the rotational power of the motor to the rotary cleaning body 32. The outer periphery 32a of the rotary cleaning body 32 comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned F and scrapes off dust on the surface to be cleaned F, thereby promoting the movement of the dust from the surface to be cleaned F toward the suction port 31a.

[0024] Air passage body 4 is interposed between vacuum cleaner main body 1 and suction port body 3, and connects suction port body 3 to vacuum cleaner main body 1 so that negative pressure generated by electric blower 2 acts on suction port 31a of suction port body 3. In other words, air passage body 4 fluidly connects suction port 31a of suction port body 3 and the internal flow passage to inlet 11i of main body case 11. In this embodiment, air passage body 4 is formed in a long tubular shape from a synthetic material such as hard plastic, and is detachable from both vacuum cleaner main body 1 and suction port body 3.

[0025] In this embodiment, the electric vacuum cleaner C can be used not only as a stick vacuum cleaner, but also as a handheld vacuum cleaner by removing the suction port body 3 and the air passage body 4 from the vacuum cleaner body 1. In this case, it is possible to attach an appropriate attachment, such as a nozzle, to the vacuum cleaner body 1 in place of the suction port body 3 and the air passage body 4.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the suction port body 3 provided in the vacuum cleaner C according to this embodiment, and Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the suction port body 3. Fig. 3 shows the suction port body 3 as seen from diagonally forward left relative to the direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner C when in use, and Fig. 4 shows the suction port body 3 as seen from diagonally rear left relative to the direction of travel. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the suction port body 3.

[0027] In FIG. 2, the front-to-rear direction of the suction port body 3, which coincides with the forward and backward directions of the vacuum cleaner C when in use, is indicated by arrow D1, and the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction D1 of the suction port body 3 is indicated by arrow D2.

[0028] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the suction port body 3 taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the suction port body 3 taken along line BB shown in FIG.

[0029] The configuration of the suction port body 3 will be further described based on FIGS. 1 to 4, with appropriate reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0030] The suction port body 3 is capable of running or sliding on the surface to be cleaned F, and has a suction port 31a that faces the surface to be cleaned F when the suction port body 3 is running or sliding during use, that is, when the back surface of the suction port body 3 is in contact with or facing the surface to be cleaned F. In this embodiment, the suction port 31a is located approximately in the center of the suction port body 3 in the left-right direction D2, and forms a nozzle-shaped flow passage that continues from the inlet end in the direction of flow when dust-containing air is sucked in.

[0031] The suction port body 3 includes a case 31, a rotary cleaning body 32, a motor 33, a power transmission body 34, and a connecting pipe 35, as well as a control unit 301 for the motor 33. The case 31 has internal chambers for accommodating the rotary cleaning body 32, the motor 33, the power transmission body 34, and the control unit 301, and the rotary cleaning body 32, the motor 33, the power transmission body 34, and the control unit 301 are housed in their respective chambers inside the case 31 (hereinafter, the chamber for accommodating the rotary cleaning body 32 may be referred to as the "cleaning body chamber," the chamber for accommodating the motor 33 may be referred to as the "motor chamber," and the chamber for accommodating the power transmission body 34 may be referred to as the "transmission body chamber"). The case 31 and the connecting pipe 35 are connected by a joint 36, and while connected to the case 31, the connecting pipe 35 can rotate or swing relative to the case 31 about a first axis in the horizontal direction and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

[0032] The case 31 includes a main body 311, an upper lid 312, and a front cover 313. The main body 311, the upper lid 312, and the front cover 313 are made of the same or different materials as separate parts, and are assembled together to form the case 31 as a whole.

[0033] In this embodiment, the main body 311 has a base 311a and a hood 311b. The base 311a and the hood 311b are located approximately midway in the front-rear direction D1 of the suction port body 3 and are joined front to back via a partition w1 inside the case 31, which extends in the left-right direction D2. That is, the base 311a constitutes the rear half of the main body 311, and the hood 311b constitutes the front half of the main body 311. In this embodiment, the left and right side ends of the base 311a extend forward to positions that are vertically opposite the hood 311b, and a bearing portion for the rotary cleaning body 32 is formed between the base 311a and the hood 311b. A brushed material b1 is attached to each of the left and right front edge corners of the back surface of the main body 311, specifically the back surface of the base 311a.

[0034] Base portion 311a extends over the entire dimension of suction port body 3 in the left-right direction D2 and forms bottom surface 31r of case 31. Base portion 311a has accommodation chambers for motor 33, power transmission body 34, and control unit 301, and the accommodation chambers for motor 33 and power transmission body 34, i.e., the motor chamber and the transmission body chamber, are formed on one side of the center line of suction port 31a in base portion 311a, and the accommodation chamber for control unit 301 is formed on the other side of the center line of suction port 31a. Here, when viewed from the front with front cover portion 313 facing in the direction of travel, the one side corresponds to the left side and the other side corresponds to the right side.

[0035] The base portion 311a further holds the sealing piece 37 and also holds the wheels 38 and 39.

[0036] The wheels 38, 39 support the suction port body 3 against the surface to be cleaned F, facilitate smooth movement of the suction port body 3 on the surface to be cleaned F, and are rotatably held on the base portion 311a. In this embodiment, the wheels include two relatively small first wheels 38 and a second wheel 39 having a larger contact area than the first wheels 38. These wheels 38, 39 are located at positions corresponding to the vertices of a triangle, and the second wheel 39 is located below the connecting pipe 35.

[0037] The sealing piece 37 is provided on the back surface of the base portion 311a across the entire space between the pair of first wheels 38 in the left-right direction D2 of the suction port body 3. As a result, the sealing piece 37 obstructs the flow of air that flows around the suction port 31a from the rear in the front-rear direction D1, and promotes the development of negative pressure acting on the suction chamber 31b through the suction port 31a.

[0038] Here, the housing chamber or motor chamber for the motor 33 corresponds to the "second housing chamber."

[0039] The hood portion 311b has a semi-cylindrical outer surface that is convex upward, and is connected to the front end of the base portion 311a via a partition wall w1. In this embodiment, the hood portion 311b opens downward toward the surface to be cleaned F and also opens forward, forming a suction chamber 31b that continues to the suction port 31a. The suction chamber 31b serves as a flow passage that continues from the vicinity of the surface to be cleaned F to the suction port 31a, and houses the rotary cleaning body 32. In other words, the suction chamber 31b also serves as a chamber for housing the rotary cleaning body 32, i.e., a cleaning body chamber. The inner surface of the hood portion 311b has a shape that matches the outer periphery 32a of the rotary cleaning body 32 housed in the suction chamber 31b.

[0040] The rotating cleaning body 32 is accommodated with its central axis parallel to the left-right direction D2 of the suction port body 3, and is supported rotatably relative to the main body part 311 of the case 31 between the base part 311a and the hood part 311b at both ends in the longitudinal direction parallel to the central axis.

[0041] Here, the suction chamber 31b, which also serves as a chamber for accommodating the rotary cleaning body 32, corresponds to the "first chamber" and is separated from the chamber for accommodating the motor 33 via a partition wall w1.

[0042] The top cover 312 is attached to the base 311a of the main body 311 from above, and closes the chambers housing the motor 33, the power transmission body 34, and the control unit 301. That is, in this embodiment, the top cover 312 and the base 311a form chambers for housing the motor 33, the power transmission body 34, and the control unit 301. The top cover 312 extends over the entire dimension of the suction port body 3 in the left-right direction D2 so as to straddle the joint 36 of the connecting pipe 35, and forms a flow passage from the suction port 31a to the connecting pipe 35 between the top cover 312 and the base 311a.

[0043] The front cover part 313 is attached to the front end of the main body part 311, or in this embodiment, the front end of the hood part 311b of the main body part 311, so as to hang down, and closes an opening formed in the hood part 311b from the front. The front cover part 313 is attached to the hood part 311b so as to be pivotable about the connection part and elastically biased in a direction away from the rotary cleaning body 32. When the suction port body 3 hits a wall surface or the like in a room during cleaning, the front cover part 313 pivots about the connection part in a direction approaching the rotary cleaning body 32, thereby reducing the gap between the front cover part 313 and the surface F to be cleaned. This increases the flow rate of air sucked into the suction port body 3 from the front, and dust present along the wall is more powerfully sucked in.

[0044] The rotary cleaning body 32 has an axially long cylindrical shape as a whole and is housed in the suction chamber 31b. The rotary cleaning body 32 includes a rotary shaft having a length that crosses the suction chamber 31b and a cleaning body formed in a spiral on the outer periphery of the rotary shaft, and is supported by the main body 311 of the case 31 via bearings provided at each end of the rotary shaft. When supported by the case 31, the outer periphery 32a of the rotary cleaning body 32, specifically the tip of the cleaning body, comes into contact with the surface F to be cleaned. The rotary cleaning body 32 also has a pulley attached to one end of the shaft. The pulley provided on the rotary cleaning body 32 is located on the driven side, with a pulley provided on the motor 33 (described below) being on the driving side.

[0045] Motor 33 constitutes the drive source for rotary cleaning body 32, and is operated by receiving power from secondary battery 13 provided in vacuum cleaner body 1. A pulley is attached to the rotating shaft of motor 33. The pulley provided on motor 33 is located on the drive side relative to the pulley provided on rotary cleaning body 32.

[0046] The motor 33 has, in its housing, an air inlet 33a that opens to the axial end face and side face, and an air outlet 33b that opens to the side face of the housing and is formed offset from the air inlet 33a in a direction parallel to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33, in other words, in the axial direction of the motor 33, and is connected to the air inlet 33a and the air outlet 33b through the inside of the motor 33. Air can be made to flow inside the housing through the air inlet 33a and the air outlet 33b, and the motor 33 is cooled by contacting the electrical components provided inside the motor 33 with the air flowing inside.

[0047] The power transmission member 34 is interposed between the motor 33 and the rotary cleaning body 32, and transmits the rotational power of the motor 33 to the rotary cleaning body 32. In this embodiment, the power transmission member 34 is an endless belt that is stretched over a drive pulley attached to the motor 33 and a driven pulley attached to the rotary cleaning body 32.

[0048] 6 and 7 are exploded plan views showing the suction port body 3 with the top cover 312 of the case 31 removed, and Fig. 7 shows the top cover 312 with the motor 33 and the power transmission body 34 removed in addition to the top cover 312. Fig. 8 is a bottom view showing the top cover 312 of the case 31 as seen from the back side.

[0049] The support structure of the motor 33 in the suction port body 3 will be further described below.

[0050] Inside the case 31, the motor 33 is housed in a motor chamber and supported by supports l1, l2, and l3 formed on the base portion 311a and the top cover portion 312 of the main body portion 311. In this embodiment, the supports l1, l2, and l3 are divided into lower half portions l11, l21, and l31 and upper half portions l12, l22, and l32. The lower half portions l11, l21, and l31 are formed on the inner surface of the base portion 311a of the main body portion 311 in a rib-like upright position so as to straddle the motor 33, in other words, to cross the motor chamber. The upper half portions l12, l22, and l32 are formed on the inner surface of the top cover portion 312 corresponding to the lower half portions l11, l21, and l31 in a rib-like upright position so as to straddle the motor 33, in other words, to cross the motor chamber, similarly to the lower half portions l11, l21, and l31.

[0051] In the following description, the pair of supports consisting of lower half l11 and upper half l12 will be referred to as first end support l1, the pair of supports consisting of lower half l21 and upper half l21 will be referred to as trunk support l2, and the support consisting of lower half l31 and upper half l32 will be referred to as second end support l3 to distinguish between these supports l1, l2, and l3. Here, trunk support l2 corresponds to the "first support" in this embodiment, and second end support l3 corresponds to the "second support" in this embodiment.

[0052] In this embodiment, the first end support member 11 supports a first end surface portion of the housing of the motor 33, which accommodates a bearing portion that receives the rotation shaft of the motor 33 on the output side, and the second end support member 13 supports a second end surface portion opposite the first end surface portion. The body support member 12 supports an intermediate portion of the housing of the motor 33 between the first end surface portion and the second end surface portion.

[0053] Here, the first end support member l1 separates the motor chamber from the transmission body chamber, and the trunk support member l2 separates the motor chamber into two small chambers on one side and the other side along the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33. The motor 33 and trunk support member l2 are in a relationship where the air inlet 33a of the motor 33 faces the small chamber on the first end face side of the motor chamber, and the air outlet 33b faces the small chamber on the second end face side.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first sealant s1 is attached to a first end surface of the motor 33, and a second sealant s2 is attached to a second end surface. The first sealant s1 is dish-shaped and seals the gap between the housing and the rotating shaft of the motor 33, and is also interposed between the first end surface of the motor 33 and the first end support l1 to provide an airtight seal between the housing and the first end support l1. The second sealant s2 is cylindrical and is interposed between the second end surface of the motor 33 and the second end support l3 to provide an airtight seal between the housing and the second end support l3.

[0055] In addition to the first and second end supports l1, l3, a sealing material similar to the second sealing material s2 may be installed in the housing part of the motor 33, specifically, between the middle part of the housing of the motor 33 and the body support l2, thereby sealing the gap between the housing part and the body support l2, obstructing the actual flow of air through this gap and promoting the flow of air into the air inlet 33a.

[0056] In this embodiment, the suction port body 3 further has a configuration for taking in ambient air from the outside of the suction port body 3 in order to cool the motor 33 .

[0057] Specifically, a partition wall w1 inside the case 31, which separates the cleaning body chamber housing the rotary cleaning body 32 from the motor chamber housing the motor 33, has a communication port h2 that connects the cleaning body chamber to the motor chamber, and an outer wall w2 of the case 31 facing the partition wall w1 has a suction port h1 that connects the motor chamber to the outside of the case 31. Both the suction port h1 and the communication port h2 are closed by dustproof sheets u1 and u2 arranged on the motor chamber side to allow ventilation. The dustproof sheets u1 and u2 are, for example, urethane sheets, and they prevent foreign matter other than air, such as dust, from entering the motor chamber.

[0058] The intake port h1 opens into a small chamber on one side of the motor chamber facing an air inlet 33a formed in the housing of the motor 33, and the communication port h2 opens into a small chamber on the other side of the motor chamber facing an air outlet 33b formed in the housing of the motor 33. Thus, air drawn into the small chamber on one side from the outside through the intake port h1 is introduced into the housing of the motor 33 through the air inlet 33a, passes through the inside of the motor 33, and is discharged into the small chamber on the other side through the air outlet 33b. The discharged air then flows into the cleaning body chamber, or in this embodiment, the suction chamber 31b, through the communication port h2.

[0059] As mentioned above, by sealing the gap between the housing part of the motor 33 and the body support l2 with a sealant and inhibiting the flow of air through this gap, the flow of air that is drawn in through the intake port h1, passes through the inside of the motor 33, passes through the communication port h2, and further passes through the intake chamber 31b to the intake port 31a is promoted.

[0060] In this embodiment, the suction port h1 includes a plurality of suction ports h1 arranged in the left-right direction D2 of the suction port body 3, and the suction ports h1 provided at each position in the left-right direction D2 are divided into a lower suction port h11 provided in the main body 311 of the suction port body 3 and an upper suction port h12 provided in the upper lid portion 312. The suction port h1 can also be formed as a continuous space that straddles the dividing plane between the main body 311 and the upper lid portion 312, rather than being divided into upper and lower portions.

[0061] On the other hand, the communication port h2 includes a plurality of communication ports h2 aligned in the left-right direction D2 of the suction port body 3, and is formed as a continuous space in the vertical direction in the partition wall w1 of the main body 311. When the partition wall w1 is formed as a division between the main body 311 and the upper cover 312, the communication port h2 can also be formed as a lower communication port provided in the main body 311 and an upper communication port provided in the upper cover 312, spatially separated from each other.

[0062] Here, the body support body l2 that defines the motor chamber has a connection point p1 to the partition wall w1 and a connection point p2 to the outer wall of the case 31, specifically, the outer wall w2 of the main body 311 and the upper cover 312, which are offset from each other in the axial direction of the motor 33. In this embodiment, the partition wall w1 in which the communication port h2 is provided and the outer wall w2 in which the suction port h1 is provided are parallel to each other, and the connection point p1 and the connection point p2 are offset from each other in a direction parallel to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33.

[0063] In addition, the intake port h1 (h11, h12) and the communication port h2 are in a relationship in which the formation area R11 of the intake port h1 (h11, h12) in the outer wall w2 of the case 31 and the formation area R12 of the communication port h2 in the partition w1 overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33.

[0064] Here, "formation region R11 of intake port h1 (h11, h12)" refers to the region where intake port h1 is formed, and in this embodiment where multiple intake ports h1 (h11, h12) are connected in the left-right direction D2, it refers to the region whose two ends are the positions of the inner surfaces facing each other of the pair of intake ports h1, h1 that are furthest apart in the left-right direction D2. On the other hand, "formation region R12 of communication port h2" refers to the region where communication port h2 is formed, and in this embodiment where multiple communication ports h2 are connected in the left-right direction D2, it refers to the region whose two ends are the positions of the inner surfaces facing each other of the pair of communication ports h2, h2 that are furthest apart in the left-right direction D2.

[0065] Furthermore, the body support l2 has a linear shape extending perpendicular to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33 in a region within a vertical projection range R2 of the motor 33 onto the body support l2, while having a curved portion l2a in a region outside this projection range R2. Here, the projection range R2 coincides with the plane parallel to the surface F to be cleaned, i.e., the vertical projection range of the motor 33 onto the horizontal plane.

[0066] In this embodiment, the curved portion 12a has a shape that expands the space on the other side of the motor chamber, where the communication port h2 faces, as it moves away from the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33. Specifically, the curved portion 12a has an arc shape with its center outside the space on the other side, in other words, within the space on one side. As a result, the connection point p1 of the trunk support body l2 to the partition wall w1 and the connection point p2 to the outer wall w2 of the main body 311 are related in a direction parallel to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33, with the connection point p1 located on the output side of the motor 33 and the connection point p2 located on the opposite, base end side.

[0067] With this shape and arrangement of the trunk support l2, in this embodiment, of the multiple intake ports h1, the rightmost intake port h1 in Figure 7, which is closest to the trunk support l2, and of the multiple communication ports h2, the leftmost communication port h2 in Figure 7, which is closest to the trunk support l2, are both located adjacent to the trunk support l2, so that the rightmost intake port h1 and the leftmost communication port h2 overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33.

[0068] In this embodiment, the connection point p1 of the body support l2 to the partition w1 and the connection point p2 to the outer wall w2 of the case 31 are positioned offset from each other in the axial direction of the motor 33, so the body support l2 is configured to be curved in an area outside the projection range R2 of the motor 33. A bent portion may be used instead of the curved portion l2a, and the connection point p1 of the body support l2 to the partition w1 and the straight portion of the projection range R2 of the motor 33 may be connected via the bent portion.

[0069] In this embodiment, not only the trunk support l2 but also the second end support l3 has a curved portion l3a in an area outside the projection range R2 of the motor 33. The curved portion l3a of the second end support l3 curves in the opposite direction to the curved portion l2a of the trunk support l2, and expands the space on the other side of the motor chamber facing the communication port h2 as it moves away from the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33. In this embodiment, the curved portion l2a of the trunk support l2 and the curved portion l3a of the second end support l3 have shapes that are mirror images of each other.

[0070] The suction mouth body 3 and the electric vacuum cleaner C according to this embodiment have the above-described configuration, and the effects obtained by this embodiment will be described below.

[0071] First, while the vacuum cleaner C is in operation, negative pressure acting on the suction port 31a of the case 31 acts on the chamber housing the motor 33, i.e., the motor chamber, through a communication port h2 formed in the partition wall w1 inside the case 31, and further acts on the outside of the case 31 through an intake port h1 formed in the outer wall w2 of the case 31. Air drawn into the motor chamber through the intake port h1 flows into the housing of the motor 33 through the air inlet port 33a, flows inside the motor 33, and cools the electrical components inside the motor 33. The cooled air then flows out of the housing through the air outlet port 33b.

[0072] Here, the body support body l2 (l21, l22) that supports the middle part of the housing of the motor 33 has a connection point p1 to the partition w1 and a connection point p2 to the outer wall w2 of the case 31 that are offset from each other in the axial direction of the motor 33, and the formation area R11 of the intake port h1 in the outer wall w2 of the case 33 and the formation area R12 of the communication port h2 in the partition w1 overlap each other in the direction perpendicular to the central axis Ax3 of the motor 33. This avoids a situation where the opening area of ​​one of the intake port h1 and the communication port h2 is increased at the expense of the other, achieving both the securing of the opening area of ​​the intake port h1 and the securing of the opening area of ​​the communication port h2. In other words, it becomes possible to secure the opening area necessary for cooling the motor 33 for both the intake port h1 and the communication port h2.

[0073] This allows the motor 33 to be cooled appropriately, thereby realizing more stable operation of the vacuum cleaner C.

[0074] Secondly, the curved portion l2a or the bent portion of the body support portion l2 reinforces the case 31, and it becomes possible to further reduce the thickness and weight of the case 31.

[0075] Furthermore, since the curved portion l2a or the bent portion is located in an area outside the projection range R2 of the motor 33, when the case 31 is divided into an upper half and a lower half, in this embodiment, when the case 31 is divided into the main body portion 311 (specifically, the base portion 311a) and the upper cover portion 312, it becomes easy to butt the portion of the body support body l2 formed in the upper half with the portion formed in the lower half.In other words, it becomes possible to promote manufacturing efficiency by relaxing the dimensional tolerances required for butting.

[0076] Thirdly, since the body support l2 is linear in the area within the projection range R2 of the motor 33, the motor 33 can be firmly supported by the body support l2, and the case 31 can be easily manufactured by molding.

[0077] Fourth, while the motor 33 is firmly supported by the body support member l2 and the second end support member l3, the formation range R12 of the communication port h2 can be expanded, making it possible to further increase the opening area of ​​the communication port h2.

[0078] In the above description, a stick-type vacuum cleaner C is used as the electric vacuum cleaner C, but the electric vacuum cleaner C that can be used is not limited to this, and it is possible to use various types of electric vacuum cleaners C that are equipped with a suction port body 3, such as canister vacuum cleaners or upright vacuum cleaners. When applied to a canister vacuum cleaner, an element equivalent to the air passage body 4 is not provided, and the vacuum cleaner main body 1 and the suction port body 3 are directly connected via a joint, so that the negative pressure generated by the electric blower 2 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 can be spread to the suction port 31a of the suction port body 3.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above description, a secondary battery 13 is used as the power source for the vacuum cleaner C, and is attached to or built into the vacuum cleaner body 1, but the power source for the vacuum cleaner C is not limited to this and may also be a commercial AC power source.

[0080] 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. 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]

[0081] C...electric vacuum cleaner, 1...vacuum cleaner main body, 111...grip portion, 112...main body control portion, 113...operation portion, 2...electric blower, 3...suction port body, 31...case, 31a...suction port, 31b...suction chamber, 311...main body portion, 311a...base portion, 311b...hood portion, 312...upper cover portion, 313...front cover portion, 32...rotating cleaning body, 32a...outer periphery of rotating cleaning body, 33...motor, 34...power transmission body, 35...connecting pipe, 36...joint portion, 4...air path body, 301...control portion, h1, h11, h12...suction port, h2...communication port, l1, first end support, l2...body support, l3...second end support.

Claims

1. a case having an intake port; a rotating cleaning body that is housed in the case and that contacts a surface to be cleaned to promote the separation of dust from the surface to be cleaned; a motor housed in the case; a power transmission body that is housed in the case and transmits rotational power of the motor to the rotary cleaning body, the motor includes a housing portion; The housing part is An air inlet; an air exhaust port that is formed offset from the air inlet in the axial direction of the motor and communicates with the air inlet through the inside of the motor, The case is a first storage chamber that stores the rotary cleaning body; a second housing chamber separated from the first housing chamber by a partition wall inside the case and housing the motor; a first support member formed to straddle the motor, supporting the motor relative to the case, and dividing the second housing chamber into a space on one side facing the air inlet and a space on the other side facing the air outlet; an intake port formed in an outer wall of the case facing the partition wall, the intake port communicating the one side space of the second chamber with the outside of the case to allow outside air to directly flow into the one side space; a communication port formed in the partition wall, the communication port connecting the space on the other side of the second storage chamber to the suction port, the first support has a connection point to the partition wall and a connection point to the outer wall of the case that are offset from each other in the axial direction of the motor, and the first support has at least a portion that extends in the axial direction of the motor; An intake body in which the area in the outer wall of the case where the intake port is formed and the area in the partition wall where the communication port is formed overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the motor, with the part sandwiched between them.

2. The suction port body described in claim 1, wherein the first support has a curved or bent portion in an area outside the vertical projection range of the motor relative to the first support, the curved or bent portion having a shape that expands the space on the other side of the second storage chamber as it moves away from the central axis of the motor.

3. The suction port body according to claim 2 , wherein the first support body is linear and extends perpendicular to a central axis of the motor in a region within the projection range of the motor.

4. a second support member provided in the second housing chamber so as to straddle the motor; The suction mouth body described in claim 2, wherein the second support supports the motor relative to the case and has a curved portion or bent portion extending in the opposite direction to the curved portion or bent portion of the first support in an area outside the projection range of the motor.

5. The suction mouth body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a vacuum cleaner body including a dust collecting unit configured to collect dust sucked through the suction port body; and an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body.

Images