Cyclone-type electric vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a simple route of an air stream from a suction pipe part to a dust collection container concerning a cyclone type vacuum cleaner where the suction pipe part and the dust collection container have nearly parallel axial lines within the same vertical plane.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner includes: a suction pipe part 21b which has a suction port opening at a front end by defining an axial line as a front and rear direction and also has a flow outlet arranged in a sidewall of a rear end part so as to allow an air stream sucked from the suction port to flow out; a cyclone type dust collection container 31 which has a nearly blind cylindrical shape and is mounted at a lower side of the suction pipe part so as to allow an axial line of the suction pipe part to superimpose on a central axis in a vertical direction orthogonal to the front and rear direction; and an electric blower which sucks inner air of the mounted dust collection container so as to generate an air stream along a periphery of the dust collection container. The dust collection container includes an introduction part 31a which has a peripheral side sidewall having a base end continuously arranged from a peripheral part without a step and linearly extending from the peripheral part and also has a center side sidewall opposing to the peripheral side sidewall, which is projected in a tangential direction, and whose distal end side is opened and air-tightly connected to a flow outlet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cyclone type electric vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to an electric vacuum cleaner in which the axis of the suction pipe is substantially parallel to the axis of a substantially cylindrical cyclone type dust collecting container.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, small and lightweight battery-driven cyclone type electric vacuum cleaners that are held and used by the user have become popular. It is an electric vacuum cleaner of a type in which a suction port body, a straight tubular extension pipe, and a vacuum cleaner main body on the rear end side of the extension pipe are integrally connected, and the user holds the vacuum cleaner main body to clean the floor surface or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The electric vacuum cleaner shown in Patent Document 1 is designed to be slender in the extension pipe and the suction pipe portion of the vacuum cleaner main body connected thereto in order to achieve an easy-to-use and sophisticated appearance and weight reduction. Further, the axis of the suction pipe and the axis of the substantially cylindrical cyclone type dust collector are arranged so as to be substantially parallel in a plane along the vertical direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A cyclone type dust collecting device introduces air containing dust into the dust collecting container along the circumference of a bottomed cylindrical dust collecting container and centrifugally separates the dust. The introduction portion where the air flow flows into the dust collecting container is generally provided with one end on the extension of the tangent of the circumference. Furthermore, in the case of the vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1, where the axis of the dust collection container is located below the axis of the suction pipe, the dust collection container is mounted on the vacuum cleaner body from below, facing upward. The inlet is mounted on the vacuum cleaner body so that it faces almost directly upward. In this case, the airflow that flows into the dust collection container through the extension pipe and suction pipe section bends to either the left or right at the outlet of the suction pipe section, then bends further downward before flowing into the dust collection container. As described above, if the flow path near the inlet bends twice, the flow path becomes complex and resistance increases. Furthermore, a portion must be formed at the end of the suction pipe near the inlet of the dust collection container, extending in either the left or right direction from the suction pipe, which can be said to contradict the requirements for lightweight design and a refined appearance.

[0005] This invention provides a vacuum cleaner that takes the above circumstances into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electric vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of this invention comprises a suction pipe section whose longitudinal direction is in the front-to-back direction and which has a suction port opening at its front end and an outlet on its side wall through which the airflow sucked in from the suction port flows out; a cyclone-type dust collection container having a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape, whose longitudinal direction is in the front-to-back direction and which is detachably attached to the suction pipe section so as to be aligned vertically with the suction pipe section; and an electric blower that sucks in the air inside the attached dust collection container to generate an airflow along the periphery of the dust collection container, wherein the base end of the dust collection container is The peripheral portion The introduction portion has a circumferential side wall that extends linearly from the circumferential portion without any steps and a central side wall that is opposite to the circumferential side wall, protruding tangentially, and having an opening at its tip that connects to the outlet, and when the dust collection container is attached to the suction pipe portion, the suction pipe portion is positioned on the upper side and the dust collection container is positioned on the lower side, and the introduction portion is connected to the circumferential portion of the suction pipe portion and the dust collection container The peripheral portion The left tangent line that touches the left side, the circumference of the suction pipe section and the dust collection container The peripheral portionThe introduction portion is located within a region sandwiched between a right-side tangent line that is in contact with the right side of the introduction portion, and the introduction portion is located within a region sandwiched between a straight line that is in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe portion on the side furthest from the peripheral side wall and passes through the central axis of the dust collection container, and the left-side tangent line, and the left-side tangent line and the straight line intersect above the suction pipe portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This invention allows for a vacuum cleaner with a sophisticated appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body, viewed from the front and slightly above. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body, seen from the rear and diagonally downwards. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a left-side cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body with the battery removed, seen from the rear and slightly downward. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a front view of the vacuum cleaner body as seen from the front. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram in which tangent lines are added that are in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe and the circumference of the dust collection container, as well as a line that is in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe on the side furthest from the peripheral wall and passes through the central axis of the dust collection container. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting the invention. (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a cordless stick-type electric vacuum cleaner will be specifically described as an example.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner according to this embodiment, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 1, viewed from the front and diagonally above, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 2, viewed from the rear and diagonally below. Figure 4 is a left-side cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 2 with the battery removed, viewed from the rear and diagonally below. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow shown in Figure 4, and Figure 8 is a front view of the vacuum cleaner body shown in Figure 2, viewed from the front. In Figure 2, the front, back, up, down, left, and right directions of the vacuum cleaner body are indicated by arrows. The axis of the extension pipe 60 and the suction pipe section 21b to which one end is connected is in the front-to-back direction. The side of the extension pipe 60 to which the suction port body 50 is connected is the front, and the side to which the suction pipe section 21b is connected is the rear. A circular opening, the air intake port 21ba, is formed at the front end of the suction pipe section 21b, and the axis of the suction pipe section 21b is assumed to pass through the center of the air intake port 21ba. A dust collection device 30, including a roughly cylindrical dust collection container 31, is mounted parallel to the axis of the suction pipe section 21b. The up-down direction is along the plane containing the axis of the suction pipe section 21b and the central axis of the dust collection container 31, and is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. The side with the operation switch section 21d is the top, and the side with the battery mounting section 21f is the bottom. The left-to-right direction is based on the state facing forward.

[0011] The stick-type cordless electric vacuum cleaner 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a vacuum cleaner body 10, a battery 40 detachably attached to the vacuum cleaner body 10, a suction nozzle 50, and an extension pipe 60 connected to the vacuum cleaner body 10. One end of the extension pipe 60 is detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the other end is detachably connected to the suction nozzle 50.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the cleaner main body 10 generally includes a drive device 20 incorporating an electric blower 22 and a dust collecting device 30 detachably attached to the drive device 20. The drive device 20 has a housing 21, an electric blower 22 provided in the housing 21, and an electric circuit including a control circuit board 23 provided in the housing 21. The control circuit board 23 has various circuits such as a CPU, a ROM storing a program, a RAM, and an input / output interface mounted on the board.

[0013] The housing 21 has an electric blower housing portion 21a, a suction pipe portion 21b, a handle portion 21c, an operation switch portion 21d, a battery mounting portion 21f, and a holder portion 21h (see FIG. 2). As the material, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as ABS resin or polycarbonate resin is applied. The surface of the holder portion 21h is covered with a flexible member (for example, rubber) so as to be non-slip and difficult to be damaged even when contacting furniture or the like. The electric blower housing portion 21a houses the electric blower 22, the control circuit board 23, etc. The suction pipe portion 21b is continuous with the upper front end of the electric blower housing portion 21a and projects forward. The handle portion 21c connects the rear end of the suction pipe portion 21b and the rear end of the electric blower housing portion 21a. The operation switch portion 21d is provided on the handle portion 21c. The operation switch portion 21d has, for example, a power switch for switching the power ON or OFF and a power switch for switching the output of the electric blower 22 to strong or weak, and is electrically connected to the control circuit board 23 via a lead wire not shown.

[0014] The handle part 21c is similar to the shape of a horizontally inverted figure seven, and an operation switch part 21d is provided near the bent part where the long side and the short side constituting the figure seven are connected. More specifically, the long side of the handle part 21c extends obliquely upward from the front end side toward the rear. The rear end of the long side is continuous with the front end of the short side that extends obliquely downward to the rear near the upper part of the rear end of the electric blower housing part 21a. The rear end part of the short side extends obliquely downward to the front in the vicinity of the rear of the electric blower housing part 21a and above the battery 40, and is connected to the rear of the electric blower housing part 21a. Note that the rearmost end part of the handle part 21c is located behind the battery 40. When gripping the long side of the handle part 21c, it is easy to maintain the cleaner body 10 substantially horizontal to the floor surface, which is suitable for moving the suction inlet body 50 under a chair or into a deep gap for cleaning. Also, regarding the mass of the cleaner body 10 with the extension pipe 60 removed, since the proportion occupied by the electric blower 22 and the battery 40 is large, a location close to the center of gravity can be gripped, so the cleaner body 10 is easy to handle. On the other hand, when the user grips the short side, the user can easily move the suction inlet body 50 on the front floor surface while maintaining an upright posture.

[0015] Note that the cleaner body 10 with the extension pipe 60 removed can be used as a handy type cleaner. Considering that case, a rotatable brush may be attached to the tip of the suction pipe part 21b. Note that instead of the rotatable brush, a separate brush that can be inserted into the air inlet 21ba may be used. Also, the suction inlet body 50 can be directly connected to the air inlet 21ba without passing through the extension pipe 60.

[0016] The holder part 21h is fixed integrally with the electric blower housing part 21a. As shown in FIG. 1, when the user is using the cordless electric cleaner 1 with the suction inlet body 50 and the extension pipe 60 connected, it is for hooking the cordless electric cleaner 1 on the back of a chair or the edge of a desk and propping it up when temporarily interrupting cleaning. Or it is for hooking the cordless electric cleaner 1 on the edge of furniture etc. and storing it. Furthermore, when the user temporarily stops cleaning and places the cordless electric vacuum cleaner 1 face down on a flat floor surface, the holder portion 21h protruding from the lowest end of the vacuum cleaner body 10 functions as a leg to support the vacuum cleaner body 10 on the floor surface.

[0017] In this housing 21, a dust collector 30 is detachably mounted in front of the electric blower housing 21a and below the suction pipe section 21b. A battery mounting section 21f is provided at the lower rear end of the electric blower housing 21a, and a battery 40 is detachably mounted therein. Furthermore, an air intake port 21ba is provided at the front end of the suction pipe section 21b of the housing 21, and an outlet port 21bb is provided on the lower side wall of the suction pipe section 21b. In addition, an inlet port 21ab is provided at the front end of the electric blower housing section 21a of the housing 21, and an exhaust port 21aa is provided on the right side of the electric blower housing section 21a.

[0018] Next, the dust collector 30 will be described. The dust collector 30 includes a dust collection container 31 and a filter section 32 that can be attached to or removed from the dust collection container 31. The dust collection container 31 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a dust disposal port, and an inlet 31a is provided in a part of its circumference. The tip of the inlet 31a is open and serves as an inlet. The filter section 32 comprises a cup section 32a, a mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b, and a filter body 32c. The cup section 32a has a central hole that leads to the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b and is detachably fitted into the dust disposal port of the dust collection container 31. One end of the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b is connected to the circumference of the hole in the cup section 32a and is housed inside the dust collection container 31. The filter body 32c is housed inside the cup section 32a.

[0019] With the dust collector 30 attached to the vacuum cleaner body 10, the outlet 21bb of the suction pipe section 21b and the inlet 31a of the dust collection container 31 are airtightly connected (see Figure 7). Also, with the filter body 32c of the filter section 32 housed inside, the opening of the cup section 32a and the inlet 21ab of the electric blower housing section 21a are airtightly connected (see Figure 5). In this way, a ventilation path driven by the electric blower 22 is formed inside the vacuum cleaner body 10.

[0020] In other words, when cleaning a floor or other surface with the cordless electric vacuum cleaner 1, the electric blower 22 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is driven, causing dust-containing air to be drawn in from the intake port 50 and flow through the extension pipe 60 into the suction pipe section 21b of the vacuum cleaner body 10 (indicated by arrow F1 in Figure 4). The dust-containing air that has flowed into the suction pipe section 21b flows into the dust collection container 31 via the outlet 21bb and the introduction section 31a. Some of the relatively large dust particles in the dust-containing air are centrifuged in the dust collection container 31, and the remaining dust is captured in the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b. Air containing even smaller dust particles than those captured in the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b passes through the inside of the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b and through the filter body 32c. The fine dust particles are captured in the filter body 32c (indicated by arrow F2 in Figure 4). The air from which minute dust particles have been removed by the filter body 32c flows into the electric blower housing 21a, passes through the electric blower 22 and the control circuit board 23, and is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 21aa (shown by arrow F3 in Figure 4).

[0021] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rotation axis of the electric blower 22, the central axis of the bottomed cylindrical dust collection container 31, and the central axis of the mesh-like inner cylinder 32b are concentric. The external appearance of the dust collection device 30 and the electric blower housing 21a that house them is also a roughly cylindrical shape with a concentric central axis parallel to the axis of the extension pipe 60. Furthermore, the battery mounting section 21f is located behind the electric blower housing 21a, and when the battery 40 is attached to the battery mounting section 21f, the battery 40 is exposed at the lower part of the rear end of the electric blower housing 21a. In addition, the long sides of the extension pipe 60, the suction pipe section 21b, and the handle section 21c are connected in the front-to-back direction. This layout gives the cordless electric vacuum cleaner 1 a slim impression with a long, extended shape in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the axis of the suction pipe section 21b and the axis of the central axis of the dust collection container 31 and the mesh-like inner cylinder section 32b are in the same plane in the vertical direction.

[0022] The flow path from the suction pipe section 21b to the dust collection container 31 will be described further. As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the dust collector 30 has an introduction section 31a that extends linearly in a substantially tangential direction from the periphery of the dust collection container 31. As shown in Figure 7, the introduction section 31a is a rectangular cross-section tube consisting of a circumferential side wall 31aa that extends linearly in a substantially tangential direction, seamlessly connecting with the circumference of the dust collection container 31 at its base end, a central side wall 31ab opposite the circumferential side wall, and front and rear side walls. The base end of the introduction section 31a communicates with the dust collection container 31, and the tip end is open.

[0023] As shown in Figure 7, the circumferential side wall 31aa is oriented in an inclined direction, not coinciding with any of the up, down, left, or right directions when viewed from the front. The tip of the inlet section 31a is approximately perpendicular to the circumferential side wall 31aa, and therefore the opening at the tip is also connected to the outlet 21bb of the side wall of the suction pipe section 21b from an inclined, oblique direction, not coinciding with any of the up, down, left, or right directions. A packing material (not shown) is placed around the outlet 21bb to maintain airtightness. The suction pipe section 21b is cut out around the outlet 21bb, extending downward from the outlet 21bb, so that the dust collection device 30, including the dust collection container 31, can be mounted from below upward. However, the outlet 21bb opens at an angle, corresponding to the tip of the inlet section 31a (see Figure 7).

[0024] By opening the outlet 21bb at an angle toward the circumference of the dust collection container 31, the direction of the pipe in the inlet 31a, i.e., the direction of the circumferential side wall 31aa, can be aligned, and a wide flow path can be formed connecting the suction pipe section 21b and the dust collection container 31. Furthermore, a simple path for the airflow from the suction pipe section 21b to the dust collection container 31 can be realized. Note that the tip of the inlet 31a does not necessarily have to be approximately perpendicular to the circumferential side wall 31aa as shown in Figure 7. However, in that case, the connection between the outlet 21bb and the inlet 31a will be oblique to the direction of the pipe of the inlet 31a. If the oblique angle is steep, the circumference of the connection will be larger than in Figure 7 for a flow path of the same diameter, and a larger packing material will be required. Also, when installing the dust collector 30, the tip of the inlet 31a is pressed against the outlet 21bb to maintain airtightness, and a packing material with a larger circumference will require a greater pressing force.

[0025] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 7, and is an explanatory diagram in which a tangent line is added that is in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe section 21b and the circumference of the dust collection container 31, and a line that is in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe section 21b that is farther from the circumferential side wall 31aa and passes through the central axis P of the dust collection container 31. The dashed line BB is a left-side tangent line that touches both the circumference of the suction pipe section 21b and the circumference of the dust collection container 31 on the left side. Note that Figure 9 is a view from the front, and the right side of the drawing is the left side in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 2. Similarly, the dashed line CC is a right-side tangent line. Furthermore, the straight line DD, shown by the dashed line, is a line that touches the circumference of the suction pipe section 21b furthest from the circumferential side wall 31aa (in Figure 7, the circumferential side wall 31aa is on the left side, so this is the circumference on the right side of the suction pipe section 21b) and passes through the central axis P of the dust collection container.

[0026] As is clear from Figure 9, the circumferential side wall 31aa and the outlet 21bb adjacent to its tip are both located within the region between the left tangent BB and the right tangent CC. The same applies to the central side wall 31ab. To further narrow that region, both the circumferential side wall 31aa and the central side wall 31ab are located within the region sandwiched between the left tangent line BB and the straight line DD. In other words, both are located on the same side with respect to the straight line DD.

[0027] (Embodiment 2) As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, the suction pipe section 21b narrows as it moves from the circular intake port 21ba towards the rear end, with the lower and left and right inner walls approaching the axis, forming a narrow section 21bc. The upper inner wall does not approach the axis even at the rear end. As the airflow progresses from the intake port 21ba to the narrow section 21bc at the rear end, the inner walls of the suction pipe section 21b are smoothly narrowed, and the flow velocity increases accordingly. The increased velocity of the airflow flows from the outlet port 21bb into the dust collection container 31, where it swirls vigorously around the inner circumference of the dust collection container 31, causing the dust contained in the airflow to be centrifuged. Note that there are also embodiments in which the narrow section 21bc is not formed, and these are described separately from Embodiment 1. In other words, the configuration of Embodiment 1 does not presuppose the configuration of the narrow section 21bc according to this embodiment. However, the combinations shown in the figures are possible.

[0028] (Embodiment 3) As shown in Figure 7, the tip of the inlet 31a is connected to the outlet 21bb located diagonally below the suction pipe 21b, and a portion of it protrudes into the periphery of the intake port 21ba when viewed from the front. A portion of the tip of the inlet 31a protrudes further inward from the lower inner wall of the narrow section 21bc. According to this embodiment, the suction pipe section 21b has a shape in which the inner wall of the portion in front of the outlet 21bb is smoothly raised from the front to the rear of the outlet 21bb. That is, an outlet front raised portion 21bd is formed in the portion in front of the outlet 21bb. As shown in Figure 8, when viewed from the front, the tip of the inlet 31a is hidden in the most raised portion at the rear end of the outlet front raised portion 21bd.

[0029] Furthermore, the outlet-front raised portion 21bd is formed only in the diagonally downward portion of the suction pipe portion 21b where the outlet 21bb is formed. Because of the raised portion 21bd in front of the outlet, the airflow that has passed through the intake port 21ba is temporarily directed towards the axial side before reaching the outlet 21bb, and then flows out diagonally downward from the lateral outlet 21bb. The raised portion 21bd in front of the outlet provides a smooth airflow. It should be noted that there may be configurations in which the outlet-front raised portion 21bd is not formed. For example, if the tip of the introduction portion 31a is aligned with the circumference of the intake port 21ba in a front view, its tip will not protrude into the inside of the suction pipe portion 21b. For this reason, it is described separately from Embodiments 1 and 2. That is, the configurations of Embodiments 1 and 2 do not presuppose the configuration of the outlet-front raised portion 21bd according to this embodiment. However, configurations with combinations as shown in the figures are possible.

[0030] As stated above, (i) The electric vacuum cleaner according to this invention comprises a suction pipe section having a suction port opening at its front end with its axis in the front-rear direction and an outlet on the side wall of its rear end through which the airflow sucked in from the suction port flows out; a cyclone-type dust collection container having a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape and mounted below the suction pipe section such that its axis and central axis coincide in the vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction; and an electric blower that sucks in the air inside the mounted dust collection container to generate an airflow along the circumference of the dust collection container, wherein the dust collection container has a circumferential side wall that extends linearly from the circumferential portion with its base end seamlessly connected to the circumferential portion and a central side wall opposite to the circumferential side wall, protruding in the tangential direction, and an introduction section that opens at its tip and is airtightly connected to the outlet.

[0031] In this invention, the front-to-back direction of the vacuum cleaner is along the axis of the suction pipe, and the side with the suction port is the front. Although the vacuum cleaner may be used at an angle, in this specification the front-to-back direction is based on the direction of the suction pipe. The up-and-down direction is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, and the left-to-right direction is perpendicular to both the front-to-back and up-and-down directions.

[0032] The axis of the suction pipe and the central axis of the dust collection container coincide in a plan view and are approximately parallel in a side view. Approximately parallel means that the angle between the two axes in a side view is within ±10 degrees.

[0033] The dust collection container is equipped with an inlet. The circumferential side wall of the inlet extends linearly from its base end, seamlessly connecting with the circumferential portion, and therefore the inlet protrudes in the tangential direction. The opening at the tip of the inlet is airtightly connected to the outlet of the side wall of the suction pipe section. Generally, cyclone-type dust collection containers centrifugally separate dust particles contained in an airflow by swirling the airflow along the circumference of the cylindrical container. The air inlet for introducing the airflow into the dust collection container is located near the circumference of the container in the radial direction, and the central part has a flow path that connects to an electric blower that sucks in the air from inside the dust collection container. On the other hand, the outlet of the suction pipe is airtightly connected to the inlet, and the diameter of the suction pipe is slightly larger than that of the outlet. Therefore, generally, the diameter of the dust collection container is larger than the diameter of the suction pipe.

[0034] The dust collection container has its central axis aligned with the axis of the suction pipe in the vertical direction and is positioned below the suction pipe. The circumferential side wall of the inlet, which extends linearly in the tangential direction around the dust collection container and connects to the outlet of the suction pipe (which has a smaller diameter than the dust collection container), is inclined with respect to the vertical direction when the dust collection container is installed. This forms a linear flow path from the rear end side wall of the suction pipe to the circumference of the dust collection container, causing the airflow to swirl along the inner circumference of the dust collection container.

[0035] Furthermore, preferred embodiments of this invention will be described. (ii) The circumferential side wall of the mounted dust collection container may be inclined such that the distance from the central axis in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, decreases as it approaches the upper front end opening. In this way, a simple path for airflow from the suction pipe to the dust collection container is realized, along the circumferential side wall which is inclined so that the base end is seamlessly connected to the circumferential portion and extends in a straight line, and the distance from the central axis decreases as it approaches the tip opening.

[0036] (iii) The outlet is rectangular in shape, and in the left-right direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, the circumferential side wall and one side of the outlet corresponding thereto may be located in a region between a left-side tangent line that contacts the circumferential surface of the suction pipe and the circumferential surface of the dust collection container from the left and a right-side tangent line that contacts the circumferential surface of the right. In this way, a flow path is formed that connects the suction pipe section and the dust collection container without protruding to the left or right from the tangent line that contacts the circumference of the suction pipe section and the circumference of the dust collection container.

[0037] (iv) One side of the outlet corresponding to the central side wall faces one side of the outlet corresponding to the circumferential side wall, and in the left-right direction, both the central side wall and the corresponding side of the outlet may be in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe portion on the side furthest from the side of the outlet corresponding to the circumferential side wall and located on the same side as the circumferential side wall with respect to a line passing through the central axis of the dust collection container. In this way, the side of the flow path connecting the suction pipe and the dust collection container that faces the circumferential side wall can be in contact with the circumferential side of the suction pipe that is farther from the circumferential side wall, and can not protrude to the left or right from the line passing through the central axis of the dust collection container.

[0038] (v) The suction pipe portion may have a narrow section in at least a part of the circumference of the suction port, where the distance from the axis is smaller closer to the outlet on the rear end. In this way, the suction pipe is narrowed near the outlet, increasing the flow velocity, which allows the cyclone effect to be fully achieved, as the air flows through the outlet into the dust collection container and centrifugally separates the dust through the airflow along the inner circumference.

[0039] (vi) The suction pipe portion may have a raised portion in which the inner wall closer to the outlet is raised in front of the outlet. In this way, the airflow is directed towards the axis in front of the outlet before flowing out through the outlet on the side wall into the dust collection container, resulting in a smooth airflow.

[0040] Preferred embodiments of this invention include combinations of any of the embodiments described above. In addition to the embodiments described above, various modifications of this invention are possible. These modifications should not be considered outside the scope of this invention. This invention should include the meaning of equivalence to the claims and all variations within that scope. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1: Cordless electric vacuum cleaner 10: Vacuum cleaner body 20: Drive unit, 21: Housing, 21a: Electric blower housing, 21aa: Exhaust port, 21ab: Inlet, 21b: Suction pipe section, 21ba: Intake port, 21bb: Outlet, 21bc: Narrow section, 21bd: Protruding section in front of outlet, 21c: Handle section, 21d: Operation switch section, 21f: Battery mounting section, 21h: Holder section, 22: Electric blower, 23: Control circuit board 30: Dust collector, 31: Dust collection container, 31a: Inlet, 31aa: Peripheral side wall, 31ab: Center side wall, 32: Filter section, 32a: Cup section, 32b: Mesh-like inner cylinder section, 32c: Filter body 40: Battery 50: Inlet body 60: Extension pipe

Claims

1. A suction pipe section having its longitudinal direction as the front-to-back direction, a suction port opening at its front end, and an outlet on its side wall through which the airflow sucked in from the suction port flows out, A cyclone-type dust collection container having a roughly bottomed cylindrical shape, with its longitudinal direction oriented front to back, and detachably attached to the suction pipe so as to be aligned vertically with the suction pipe; It includes an electric blower that sucks in the air inside the attached dust collection container and generates an airflow along the periphery of the dust collection container, The dust collection container has an introduction portion that protrudes tangentially, with a base end that is seamlessly connected to the circumferential portion and has a circumferential side wall that extends linearly from the circumferential portion and a central side wall that is opposite to the circumferential side wall, and has an opening at its tip that connects to the outlet, In the state in which the dust collection container is attached to the suction pipe section, the suction pipe section is positioned on the upper side and the dust collection container is positioned on the lower side. The introduction section is located within the region between a left-side tangent line that contacts the circumference of the suction pipe section and the circumference of the dust collection container on the left side, and a right-side tangent line that contacts the circumference of the suction pipe section and the circumference of the dust collection container on the right side. The introduction section is located within the region between a straight line that is in contact with the circumference of the suction pipe section furthest from the peripheral side wall and passes through the central axis of the dust collection container, and the left-side tangent line. The left tangent line and the straight line intersect above the suction pipe section. Vacuum cleaner.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the dust collection container is separated from the suction pipe section, the connection between the outlet and the opening is released.

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