cleaning machine

Abstract

To provide a technique that facilitates removal of dust accumulated between two filters.SOLUTION: A cleaner according to the present disclosure comprises: a case formed therein with a driving chamber in which a suction source is housed, and a dust storage chamber into which air and dust sucked by a suction force of the suction source flow; and a filter part arranged in the case so as to vertically partition the driving chamber and the dust storage chamber. The filter part comprises: a primary filter constituted so as to retain a portion of the dust contained in the air, in the dust storage chamber; a secondary filter provided at a position separated upward from the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space for storing the dust passed through the primary filter, between itself and the primary filter, and having finer meshes than those of the primary filter; and a dust fall part comprising a dust discharge passage establishing communication between the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow the dust accumulated in the dust storage space, to fall to the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner having two filters.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stick-type vacuum cleaner 300 as shown in FIG. 15. The vacuum cleaner 300 has a grip portion 310 that constitutes the proximal end portion of the vacuum cleaner 300, and this grip portion 310 is formed to be grippable by a user. Further, a suction nozzle 320 that is moved on the floor surface by the user is provided at the distal end portion of the vacuum cleaner 300.

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

[0004] As shown in FIG. 16, the dust storage portion 340 has a dust storage container 341 that opens upward and a lid portion 342 for opening and closing the opening at the upper end of the dust storage container 341. In order to prevent the dust in the dust storage container 341 from flowing into the vacuum cleaner main body 330, a filter portion 343 is disposed at the upper portion of the dust storage container 341. The filter portion 343 has a primary filter 344 and a secondary filter 345 that is finer than the primary filter 344.

[0005] The primary filter 344 can retain most of the dust in the dust storage container 341, but some dust can pass through the primary filter 344. However, the dust that has passed through the primary filter 344 is captured by the secondary filter 345 and stored between the primary filter 344 and the secondary filter 345.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-42332 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] To dispose of the dust between the primary filter 344 and the secondary filter 345, the user removes the dust collection unit 340 from the vacuum cleaner body 330. Then, the user operates the lid 342 to open the opening at the top of the dust collection container 341 and removes the filter unit 343 from the dust collection container 341. The user then disassembles this filter unit 343 into the primary filter 344 and the secondary filter 345 and disposes of the dust between them. Thus, in order to dispose of the dust between the primary filter 344 and the secondary filter 345, the user needs to perform various disassembly operations.

[0008] This disclosure aims to provide a technology that facilitates the removal of dust accumulated between two filters. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vacuum cleaner in this disclosure comprises a housing that houses a drive chamber containing a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking up dust, and a dust storage chamber located below the drive chamber into which air and dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source flow, and a filter section arranged inside the housing so as to partition the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber vertically. The filter section comprises a primary filter configured to allow air flowing from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber by the suction force of the suction source to pass through, while retaining a portion of the dust contained in this air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter located at a position spaced above the primary filter to form a dust storage space between the primary filter and the primary filter for storing the dust that has passed through the primary filter, and having a finer mesh than the primary filter, and a dust removal section having a dust removal path that connects the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow dust accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This disclosure shows that dust between the primary and secondary filters can be easily removed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner (first embodiment) [Figure 2] Vertical cross-section of a vacuum cleaner [Figure 3] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the filter section of a vacuum cleaner. [Figure 4] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the filter section of another vacuum cleaner. [Figure 5] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the filter section of another vacuum cleaner. [Figure 6] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the filter section of another vacuum cleaner. [Figure 7] Perspective view of the secondary filter in the filter section. [Figure 8] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the filter section of another vacuum cleaner. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the filter section [Figure 10] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of vacuum cleaner and collection device (second embodiment) [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of the recovery device [Figure 12] Rear view of the recovery device [Figure 13] Perspective view of another vacuum cleaner (third embodiment) [Figure 14] Vertical cross-section of a vacuum cleaner [Figure 15] Perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner [Figure 16] Perspective view of the dust collection section of a conventional vacuum cleaner. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, the first to third embodiments of the vacuum cleaner will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For the convenience of those skilled in the art, for example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. The attached drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0013] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stick-type vacuum cleaner 100. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0014] (Overall Structure of Vacuum Cleaner) The vacuum cleaner 100 includes a suction nozzle 130 that sucks dust on the floor surface, a vacuum cleaner body 110 erected with respect to the suction nozzle 130, and a grip portion 140 extending upward from the upper end 112 of the vacuum cleaner body 110. The vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip portion 140 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are in a posture upright with respect to the suction nozzle 130. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is in use, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip portion 140 are held by the user in a posture tilted backward with respect to the suction nozzle 130. Note that the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip portion 140 may be tilted forward with respect to the suction nozzle 130.

[0015] The suction nozzle 13o includes a nozzle case 132 that is wider than the vacuum cleaner body 110 so as to form a wide suction space 131 for sucking dust. The suction space 131 opens toward the floor surface at the front portion of the nozzle case 132. At the rear side of this opening portion, the suction space 131 is closed by the bottom portion 134 of the nozzle case 132. A rotary scraping brush 133 is disposed in the suction space 131, and the scraping brush 133 is exposed from the nozzle case 132 so as to be able to contact the floor surface through the opening of the suction space 131.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner body 110 has a vertically elongated casing 111. The upper part of the casing 111 tapers towards the upper end 112, and a gripping portion 140 extends upward from the upper end 112. The gripping portion 140 is a rod-shaped part with a thickness that allows it to be gripped by the user. As shown in Figure 2, the gripping portion 140 is provided with an operating portion 141 that is operated by the user.

[0017] The housing 111 is configured to house various components for sucking up dust from the floor surface and storing the sucked-up dust. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, a suction pipe 113 extending vertically is located inside the lower part of the housing 111. Above the suction pipe 113, a dust storage chamber 152 is provided through which dust and air flow in via a suction nozzle 130 and the suction pipe 113. Above the dust storage chamber 152, a drive chamber 153 is formed, which houses a suction source 116 that generates suction force to suck up dust from the floor surface and creates an upward suction airflow, and a power storage unit 117 that stores the power to operate the suction source 116. The drive chamber 153 and the dust storage chamber 152 are adjacent to each other so as to be aligned vertically and are separated vertically by a filter unit 115 located inside the housing 111. The filter unit 115 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through.

[0018] A dust outlet 124 is formed in the front wall portion of the housing 111 for discharging dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152. The dust outlet 124 is a roughly rectangular opening that communicates with the dust storage chamber 152. A roughly rectangular cover 121 is attached to the housing 111 so as to be able to rotate up and down in order to open and close the dust outlet 124. In Figure 2, the cover 121 is in the open position, which opens the dust outlet 124, and in Figure 1, the cover 121 is in the closed position, which closes the dust outlet 124. The cover 121 is biased to the closed position so as to close the dust outlet 124 when no external force is acting on the cover 121.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the filter section 115 is a thin plate-shaped member that extends diagonally upward from a position above the lid 121 and the dust outlet 124. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the filter section 115 has a primary filter 171 configured to allow air to flow between the dust storage chamber 152 and the drive chamber 153, and a secondary filter 172 provided at a position spaced above the primary filter 171. The primary filter 171 has a larger mesh than the secondary filter 172 and is configured to capture large dust particles contained in the suction airflow generated by the suction source 116. The dust captured by the primary filter 171 is stored in the dust storage chamber 152.

[0020] Dust particles smaller than the mesh size of the primary filter 171 can pass through the primary filter 171, but these small dust particles can be captured by the secondary filter 172 located above the primary filter 171. The dust particles captured by the secondary filter 172 are stored in the space between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. This space will be referred to as the "dust storage space 173" in the following description.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the primary filter 171 extends diagonally upward from the upper side of the lid 121 and the dust outlet 124 and is installed in an inclined position. The secondary filter 172 is installed in a position approximately parallel to the primary filter 171. Therefore, the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 is also inclined diagonally. In this embodiment, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are sheet-like and have flat inner surfaces that face each other.

[0022] To discharge dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, dust collection sections 179 are attached to the lower ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, as shown in Figure 3. The dust collection section 179 is a cylindrical member located on the inner surface of the front wall portion of the housing 111, adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port 124, and forms a dust discharge passage 180 that extends vertically so that dust falls when dust is discharged from the dust storage space 173. The dust discharge passage 180 communicates with the dust storage space 173 at its lowest point. The lower end of the dust discharge passage 180 opens downward and faces the dust storage chamber 152. When the suction source 116 is stopped, the dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 falls into the dust storage chamber 152 through the opening at the lower end of the dust discharge passage 180. In the following description, the opening at the lower end of the dust discharge passage 180 will be referred to as the "drop-off opening 189".

[0023] To open and close the drop-off port 189, an on-off valve 181 is mounted on the lower end of the dust collection section 179 so as to be rotatable vertically, as shown in Figure 3. The on-off valve 181 shown in Figure 3 is in the open position, opening the drop-off port 189. When the suction source 116 in the drive chamber 153 above the filter section 115 generates an upward suction force, the on-off valve 181 rotates upward from the position shown in Figure 3 due to this suction force, and enters the closed position, closing the drop-off port 189. When the suction source 116 stops and this suction force disappears, the on-off valve 181 rotates downward due to its own weight, and the drop-off port 189 can be opened. Note that, as described in the second embodiment, the on-off valve 181 may be configured to enter the position that opens the drop-off port 189 due to the dust collection force of the recovery device 200 shown in Figure 10. Alternatively, as described in the third embodiment, if the suction source 116 is capable of generating a downward airflow, the on-off valve 181 may be configured to open the drop-off port 189 due to this downward airflow.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the upper end of the dust storage chamber 152 is partitioned by the filter section 115, while the lower end of the dust storage chamber 152 is partitioned by a check valve 114 attached to the upper end of the suction pipe 113. The check valve 114 shown in Figure 1 is in a closed position, closing the opening at the upper end of the suction pipe 113. When the suction source 116 generates an upward suction force, the check valve 114 rotates upward from the position shown in Figure 1, opening the opening at the upper end of the suction pipe 113.

[0025] The suction tube 113 extends vertically, and its lower end is attached to the suction nozzle 130. The connection between the suction tube 113 and the suction nozzle 130 is configured to allow the suction tube 113, housing 111, and gripping portion 140 to tilt backward from the upright position shown in Figure 1.

[0026] When the suction tube 113, housing 111, and gripping part 140 are in the upright position shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the suction tube 113 is in contact with the bottom 134 of the nozzle case 132. That is, when the vacuum cleaner body 110 is in the upright position, the lower end of the suction tube 113 is closed off by the bottom 134 of the nozzle case 132. When the vacuum cleaner body 110 tilts backward from the upright position, the lower end of the suction tube 113 moves in the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 1. As a result, the flow path of the suction tube 113 becomes connected to the suction space 131 of the nozzle case 132.

[0027] (Explanation of how the vacuum cleaner works) During cleaning, the vacuum cleaner 100 is held by the user in a position where the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip 140 are tilted backward relative to the suction nozzle 130. By tilting the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip 140 backward relative to the suction nozzle 130, it becomes easier to push the suction nozzle 130 forward. In this state, the flow path of the suction pipe 113 is in communication with the suction space 131 of the suction nozzle 130.

[0028] When the user then operates the control unit 141 to activate the suction source 116, the suction source 116 generates an upward suction force. This suction force causes the check valve 114 to bend upward. As a result, the upper end of the suction pipe 113 opens. Meanwhile, the on / off valve 181 of the filter unit 115 rotates upward from the position shown in Figure 3 due to this suction force, closing the dust collection port 189 of the dust collection unit 179.

[0029] When the upper end of the suction pipe 113 is opened, the suction force of the suction source 116 generates a suction airflow that draws in dust through the suction space 131 of the suction nozzle 130. The suction airflow passes through the suction nozzle 130 and the suction pipe 113 and flows into the dust storage chamber 152. Dust on the floor surface is carried by this suction airflow into the dust storage chamber 152. Larger dust particles are captured by the primary filter 171 and kept in the dust storage chamber 152. Smaller dust particles pass through the primary filter 171 and flow into the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. This dust is then captured by the secondary filter 172 and kept in the dust storage space 173. At this time, the drop-off port 189 of the dust collection section 179 is closed by the on / off valve 181, so that air and dust do not pass through the primary filter 171 and are prevented from flowing into the dust storage space 173 through the dust discharge passage 180.

[0030] Once the cleaning is complete, the user operates the control unit 141 to stop the suction source 116. As a result, the suction force of the suction source 116 is eliminated, and the check valve 114 returns to its original position, closing the upper end of the suction pipe 113. Therefore, dust in the dust storage chamber 152 does not fall into the suction pipe 113.

[0031] When the suction force of the suction source 116 is lost, the dust captured by the secondary filter 172 falls onto the inner surface (upper surface) of the primary filter 171, which partitions the lower end of the dust storage space 173. This dust then moves to the lowest position in the dust storage space 173, following the slope of the primary filter 171. At this time, since the inner surface of the primary filter 171 is flat, the dust can move downward without getting caught on the primary filter 171.

[0032] At the lowest point in the dust storage space 173, the dust discharge passage 180 of the dust collection section 179 is in communication with the dust storage space 173. Therefore, dust that moves downward within the dust storage space 173 enters the dust discharge passage 180 of the dust collection section 179. At this time, the on-off valve 181 attached to the dust collection section 179 rotates downward due to its own weight, opening the drop-off port 189 of the dust collection section 179. As a result, dust that enters the dust collection section 179 falls into the dust storage chamber 152 through the drop-off port 189. Since the dust collection section 179 is adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port 124 on the inner surface of the front wall portion of the housing 111, the dust falls to a position close to the dust discharge port 124.

[0033] Dust that falls from the dust storage space 173 to a position near the dust outlet 124 is smaller than the dust that is retained in the dust storage chamber 152 by the primary filter 171. Therefore, within the dust storage chamber 152, there may be a lot of small dust near the dust outlet 124, and a lot of large dust further back in the dust storage chamber 152 relative to the dust outlet 124 (i.e., near the rear wall portion of the housing 111).

[0034] The user may, for example, hold the vacuum cleaner 100 above a trash can with the dust outlet 124 facing downwards in order to dispose of the dust in the dust chamber 152. In this state, when the user opens the lid 121, the dust in the dust chamber 152 will fall into the trash can. At this time, small dust particles near the dust outlet 124 may be pushed out of the dust outlet 124 by larger dust particles further inside the dust chamber 152. Even if small dust particles remain near the dust outlet 124, the user can easily wipe them away with, for example, a damp cloth.

[0035] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the user can remove dust from the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 without disassembling the filter unit 115.

[0036] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 are in an inclined position, so their area is larger than when they are arranged horizontally inside the housing 111. Therefore, clogging of the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 as a whole is suppressed.

[0037] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are approximately parallel to each other. Alternatively, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be arranged in such a manner that the distance between them increases as they approach the dust collection section 179, as shown in Figure 4. In this case, dust moving downward within the dust collection space 173 toward the dust collection section 179 is prevented from being trapped and stopped between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 before reaching the dust collection section 179. That is, dust in the dust collection space 173 can reach the dust collection section 179 without being obstructed by the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172.

[0038] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the dust collection section 179 is attached to the ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. However, the dust collection section 179 may be provided in other locations. For example, if the primary filter 171 is curved to protrude toward the dust storage chamber 152 side as shown in Figure 5, and the dust storage space 173 is lowest at the central position in the front-to-back direction, the dust collection section 179 may be provided at the central position of the primary filter 171.

[0039] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the corner of the dust storage chamber 152, formed by the lower end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the front wall portion of the housing 111, is obtuse. On the other hand, the corner of the dust storage chamber 152, formed by the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111, is acute. Even if large dust particles (cotton debris) reach the obtuse corner, if the suction source 116 stops, these dust particles can fall from the obtuse corner. However, large dust particles that enter the acute corner are trapped between the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111, even if the suction source 116 stops, and are less likely to fall from this acute corner. To promote the fall of dust particles from the corners of the dust storage chamber 152, the primary filter 171 may be formed as shown in Figure 6.

[0040] The primary filter 171 shown in Figure 6 has an inclined portion 174 that extends diagonally upward from the front wall portion of the housing 111 so that the corner of the dust storage chamber 152 is obtuse, and a bent portion 175 that bends from the inclined portion 174 so that it is in a position closer to horizontal than the inclined portion 174. The narrow angle formed by the bent portion 175 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111 is larger than the narrow angle formed by the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111 shown in Figure 3. In this case, even if dust enters the corner formed by the bent portion 175 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111, the dust is likely to fall from this corner when the suction source 116 stops.

[0041] Since the secondary filter 172 has a finer mesh than the primary filter 171, it is more prone to clogging than the primary filter 171. To prevent the secondary filter 172 from becoming completely clogged, it is preferable that the secondary filter 172 has a larger surface area than the primary filter 171. For example, to increase the surface area of ​​the secondary filter 172, it may be formed as shown in Figure 7.

[0042] The secondary filter 172 shown in Figure 7 has a folded shape that forms multiple protrusions 178 extending in the front-to-back direction. In this case, it may have a larger area compared to an unfolded sheet-like secondary filter 172 due to the presence of the protrusions 178. Note that although the protrusions 178 shown in Figure 7 extend in the front-to-back direction, the secondary filter 172 may also be folded to form multiple protrusions 178 extending in the left-to-right direction.

[0043] When fine dust becomes densely packed in the dust storage space 173, even if the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 are inclined at an angle as shown in Figure 3, the dust will have difficulty moving downward within the dust storage space 173. For this reason, the filter section 115 may be configured to provide a wide dust storage space 173. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the secondary filter 172 may have a curved shape that is convex toward the drive chamber 153. In this case, the dust storage space 173 between the secondary filter 172 and the primary filter 171 will be wider than the dust storage space 173 shown in Figure 3. Also, the area of ​​the secondary filter 172 shown in Figure 8 will be wider than the area of ​​the secondary filter 172 shown in Figure 3. Note that the secondary filter 172 shown in Figure 8 has a curved shape in side view, but the secondary filter 172 may have a curved cross-section that is convex toward the drive chamber 153 in front view.

[0044] To increase the area of ​​the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be formed to a certain extent wider. In this case, the width (size in the left-right direction) of the dust storage space 173 will also increase. If the drop-off opening 189 of the dust collection section 179 is formed to match the width of the dust storage space 173, the on-off valve 181 will need to be made larger in the width direction. To suppress such an increase in the size of the on-off valve 181, the dust discharge passage 180 of the dust collection section 179 may narrow towards the drop-off opening 189, as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the area of ​​the drop-off opening 189 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the dust storage space 173, and the on-off valve 181 only needs to be large enough to block the drop-off opening 189. For this reason, even if the dust storage space 173 is formed to be wide, the on-off valve 181 can have a small weight. Therefore, even if the suction force of the suction source 116 decreases, the on / off valve 181 can be maintained in the closed position.

[0045] If the drop-off port 189 has a small area, the dust that falls from the drop-off port 189 can fall to a narrow area. Therefore, if the drop-off port 189 is located above the center of the dust discharge port 124 in the width direction, the dust in the dust storage space 173 will fall near the center of the dust discharge port 124. In this case, if the cover 121 opens the dust discharge port 124, the dust that falls from the dust storage space 173 can be easily discharged from the housing 111 through the dust discharge port 124.

[0046] (Second Embodiment) The dust stored in the dust storage chamber 152 and dust storage space 173 of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the first embodiment may be collected using the collection device 200 shown in Figure 10.

[0047] As shown in Figure 10, the collection device 200 is configured to be connectable to the vacuum cleaner 100, and is configured to collect dust while generating suction force to suck dust from the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected. In detail, the collection device 200 has a base plate 220 on which the vacuum cleaner 100 is placed, a support part 217 erected from the base plate 220, and a housing 210 supported by the support part 217 at a position spaced above the base plate 220. The support part 217 is smaller than the housing 210 and the base plate 220 in the front-rear direction, and a recess is formed surrounded by the base plate 220, the support part 217 and the housing 210. The front part of the suction nozzle 130 placed on the base plate 220 is inserted into this recess.

[0048] The housing 210 is a roughly rectangular box-shaped portion, and as shown in Figure 11, a groove 215 is formed in the rear wall of the housing 210 into which the vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted. As shown in Figure 12, the groove 215 extends in the vertical direction.

[0049] As shown in Figure 12, a collection port 216 is formed in the groove 215 into which dust from the dust collection chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 flows. The collection port 216 is formed at a height opposite to the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100, which is placed on the base plate 220. The collection port 216 is sized to allow the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 to enter when it is in the open position.

[0050] As shown in Figure 10, the housing 210 of the collection device 200 contains a dust collection source 250 that generates suction force to suck dust out of the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100, and a dust storage box 240 that stores the dust sucked in by the dust collection source 250. The dust storage box 240 is located above the dust collection source 250, and a filter member 247 is placed between the dust storage box 240 and the dust collection source 250. The filter member 247 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through. The dust collection source 250 sucks the air in the dust storage box 240 downwards via the filter member 247. At this time, the dust in the dust storage box 240 is retained within the dust storage box 240 by the filter member 247.

[0051] A recovery duct 230 extends from the dust collection box 240, and the tip of the recovery duct 230 is connected to the recovery port 216. The recovery duct 230 forms a flow path for dust that flows from the recovery port 216 to the dust collection box 240.

[0052] The primary filter 171 of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figure 10 is the same as the primary filter 171 shown in Figure 6. When dust inside the vacuum cleaner 100 is collected using the collection device 200, the secondary filter 172 may preferably have an inclined portion 176 and a bent portion 177, similar to the primary filter 171. The inclined portion 176 of the secondary filter 172 extends diagonally upward from a position above the dust discharge port 124 and is in a position approximately parallel to the inclined portion 174 of the primary filter 171. The bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 is located further from the dust discharge port 124 than the inclined portion 176 and is bent relative to the inclined portion 174 so as to be in a more horizontal position than the inclined portion 174.

[0053] (Explanation of the operation of the dust collection device during dust collection) The user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200 in order to collect the dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152. Specifically, the user places the vacuum cleaner 100 on the base plate 220 of the collection device 200 and positions the vacuum cleaner body 110 and grip 140 in an upright position. When the upright vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the groove 215 of the collection device 200, the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 faces the collection opening 216 of the collection device 200 in the front-to-back direction.

[0054] When the dust collection source 250 is activated in this state, the dust collection force of the dust collection source 250 acts on the lid 121 facing the collection port 216 through the dust storage box 240 and the recovery duct 230. The lid 121, receiving the dust collection force of the dust collection source 250, changes from a closed position that closes the dust discharge port 124 to an open position that opens the dust discharge port 124.

[0055] When the dust outlet 124 is opened, the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the internal space of the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230. In this state, the suction force of the dust collection source 250 of the recovery device 200 acts on the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 through the dust storage box 240 and the recovery duct 230. The dust in the dust storage chamber 152 then flows into the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230.

[0056] At this time, the dust suction force of the dust collection source 250 of the recovery device 200 is strong near the dust discharge port 124, but weakens as it moves away from the dust discharge port 124. In particular, the dust suction force acting on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 may weaken for the following reasons. That is, the dust suction force can act on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 through the mesh of the primary filter 171, but this dust suction force can be reduced by the pressure loss in the primary filter 171. In addition, the dust suction force can also act on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 through the dust discharge passage 180 of the dust collection section 179, but the bent portion 177 at the rear end of the secondary filter 172 is far from the dust collection section 179 attached to the front end of the secondary filter 172. Therefore, the dust-collecting force acting through the dust-discharge passage 180 of the dust-collecting section 179 is less likely to act on the bent section 177 of the secondary filter 172.

[0057] To facilitate the removal of dust adhering to the bent portion 177, the bent portion 177 is positioned in a more horizontal orientation than the inclined portion 176. That is, since the dust discharge port 124 is located below the filter portion 115, the suction force of the dust collection source 250 acts downward on the bent portion 177. Furthermore, because the bent portion 177 is positioned in a nearly horizontal orientation, the component force of the dust collection force of the dust collection source 250 in the direction normal to the bent portion 177 can be somewhat large. As a result, dust adhering to the bent portion 177 can be pulled off from the bent portion 177 by the suction force of the dust collection source 250.

[0058] The primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figure 10 each have inclined sections 174 and 176 and bent sections 175 and 177, respectively. Alternatively, when dust is collected using the collection device 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 may also have the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 shown in any of Figures 3 to 8. If the dust collection source 250 of the collection device 200 can generate a strong suction force, dust can be pulled away from these filters even if the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 shown in any of Figures 3 to 8 are used.

[0059] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, the dust is sucked out of the dust storage chamber 152 and dust storage space 173 by the suction force of the recovery device 200. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 100 itself may be configured to discharge dust from the dust storage chamber 152 and dust storage space 173. In this case, as shown in Figure 13, the vacuum cleaner 100 is configured such that the suction source 116 generates not only an upward suction airflow from the dust storage chamber 152 through the filter section 115 to the drive chamber 153, but also a discharge airflow in the opposite direction (i.e., downward) to the suction airflow. The suction airflow is generated when the vacuum cleaner 100 operates in cleaning mode to suck up dust from the floor surface into the dust storage chamber 152. The discharge airflow is generated when the vacuum cleaner 100 operates in dust removal mode to remove dust adhering to the primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 of the filter section 115. The generation of the discharge airflow in dust removal mode can be instructed by operating the operating unit 142 provided on the gripping unit 140 shown in Figure 14.

[0060] When the user operates the control unit 142, the suction source 116 generates a downward discharge airflow. A portion of this discharge airflow sequentially passes through the secondary filter 172 and the primary filter 171 of the filter unit 115. At this time, dust adhering to the lower surface of the secondary filter 172 falls onto the upper surface of the primary filter 171. Dust adhering to the lower surface of the primary filter 171 also falls to the bottom of the dust storage chamber 152.

[0061] A portion of the discharged airflow that has passed through the secondary filter 172 passes through the primary filter 171, but the remaining discharged airflow flows through the dust storage space 173 between the secondary filter 172 and the primary filter 171, and flows out to the dust storage chamber 152 through the dust removal passage 180 of the dust collection section 179. The dust in the dust storage space 173 is not only guided to the dust removal passage 180 shown in Figure 3 according to the slope of the upper surface of the primary filter 171, but is also guided to the dust removal passage 180 by the discharged airflow flowing towards the dust removal passage 180 within the dust storage space 173. As a result, the dust in the dust storage space 173 flows out to the dust storage chamber 152 through the dust removal passage 180 along with the discharged airflow flowing within the dust storage space 173.

[0062] The discharged airflow entering the dust storage chamber 152 pushes the lid 121 that is closing the dust outlet 124, causing the lid 121 to open. As a result, the dust outlet 124 is opened, and the dust inside the dust storage chamber 152 is discharged outside the housing 111 through the dust outlet 124. At this time, the user may place a breathable bag over the dust outlet 124. In this case, the dust discharged from the dust outlet 124 can be contained within this bag.

[0063] When the suction source 116 is configured to generate a discharge airflow, the filter section 115 may have a primary filter 171 and a secondary filter 172 as shown in Figures 3 to 8 or Figure 10.

[0064] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first to third embodiments, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the gripping part 140 are tiltable backward from an upright position. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured such that the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the gripping part 140 are tiltable forward from an upright position.

[0065] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first to third embodiments, the lid 121 is configured to rotate vertically relative to the housing 111. Alternatively, the lid 121 may be configured to rotate horizontally relative to the housing 111, or to slide on the housing 111 to open the dust outlet 124.

[0066] The vacuum cleaner 100 in the first to third embodiments is of the stick type. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be an upright type vacuum cleaner, a canister type vacuum cleaner, a self-propelled robot vacuum cleaner, or a handheld type vacuum cleaner, as long as the drive chamber 153 and the dust collection chamber 152 are aligned vertically.

[0067] (Effects, etc.) The vacuum cleaner 100 according to the above embodiment has the following features and provides the following effects.

[0068] A vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment comprises a housing that houses a drive chamber containing a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking up dust, and a dust storage chamber provided below the drive chamber into which air and dust sucked up by the suction force of the suction source flow, and a filter section arranged inside the housing so as to partition the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber vertically. The filter section comprises a primary filter configured to allow air flowing from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber by the suction force of the suction source to pass through, while retaining a portion of the dust contained in this air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter provided at a position spaced above the primary filter to form a dust storage space between itself and the primary filter for storing dust that has passed through the primary filter, and having a finer mesh than the primary filter, and a dust removal section having a dust removal path that connects the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow dust accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped.

[0069] In the configuration described above, when the vacuum cleaner's suction source is activated, the suction force of the suction source draws air and dust into the dust collection chamber. The air passes through the primary filter, but larger dust particles are captured by the primary filter and kept in the dust collection chamber. However, fine dust particles pass through the primary filter along with the air.

[0070] Air and dust that have passed through the primary filter flow into the dust-retaining space formed between the primary and secondary filters. Since the secondary filter has finer mesh than the primary filter, air can pass through it. On the other hand, fine dust that has passed through the primary filter can be retained in the dust-retaining space by the secondary filter. As a result, fine dust accumulates in the dust-retaining space.

[0071] When the suction source stops, the dust accumulated in the dust storage space falls into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path of the dust collection section. Therefore, the user can remove dust from the dust storage space between the primary and secondary filters without disassembling the filter section.

[0072] In the above configuration, the filter section may be arranged such that the dust storage space is inclined at an angle. The dust collection section may be formed such that the dust discharge path communicates with the dust storage space at the lowest position within the dust storage space.

[0073] In the configuration described above, when the suction source stops, the dust in the dust storage space moves towards the lowest position in the dust storage space, following the slope of the space. At this position, the dust discharge path of the dust collection section is connected, so much of the dust in the dust storage space can fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path of the dust collection section.

[0074] In the above configuration, the primary filter and the secondary filter may be arranged such that the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases as it approaches the dust collection area.

[0075] In the above configuration, when the suction source stops, the dust in the dust storage space moves towards the dust collection area according to the slope of the dust storage space. As the dust approaches the dust collection area, the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter widens, so that the dust is not trapped between the primary and secondary filters and prevented from approaching the dust collection area.

[0076] In the above configuration, the first-order filter may have a flat inner surface facing the second-order filter.

[0077] In the above configuration, when the suction source stops, dust captured by the secondary filter may fall onto the inner surface of the primary filter. This dust then moves along the inner surface of the primary filter toward the dust accumulation area. The inner surface of the primary filter is formed flat so as not to obstruct the movement of dust toward the dust accumulation area.

[0078] In the above configuration, the primary or secondary filter may be installed in an inclined position, tilted from a horizontal position.

[0079] In the above configuration, since the primary or secondary filter is installed in an obliquely inclined position, the area of ​​this filter may be larger than when the filter is installed in a horizontal position. As a result, the primary or secondary filter is less likely to become clogged as a whole.

[0080] In the above configuration, the primary filter may have an inclined portion that is tilted from a horizontal position to an obtuse angle at the corner formed on the dust storage chamber side between it and the housing, and a bent portion that is bent from the inclined portion to a position closer to a horizontal position than the inclined portion.

[0081] In the above configuration, the primary filter has an inclined section that is positioned at an angle, so the area of ​​the primary filter can be somewhat large. Since the corner formed on the dust collection chamber side between the inclined section and the housing is obtuse, dust is prevented from getting stuck in this corner.

[0082] If the entire primary filter is in an inclined position, an acute-angled corner may be formed on the opposite end from the end forming an obtuse-angled corner on the dust collection chamber side when it is in contact with the housing. Dust that enters this acute-angled corner can be strongly pinched between the primary filter and the housing, making it difficult to remove the dust from this corner. To avoid this situation, in the above configuration, the primary filter has a bent section. Since the bent section is in a position closer to horizontal than the inclined section, the angle of the corner formed between the bent section and the housing on the dust collection chamber side can be somewhat larger. Therefore, even if dust enters this corner, when the suction source stops, it can fall without being pinched between the bent section and the housing.

[0083] In the above configuration, the filter section may have an on-off valve that opens and closes the dust discharge passage. The on-off valve may be configured to be in a closed position that closes the dust discharge passage due to the suction force of the suction source, and to be in an open position that opens the dust discharge passage due to its own weight when the suction source is stopped.

[0084] In the above configuration, when the suction source is operating, the on-off valve is in the closed position, closing the dust removal passage due to the suction force of the suction source. This prevents dust from flowing into the dust storage space through the dust removal passage without passing through the primary filter. When the suction source stops, the on-off valve opens the dust removal passage due to its own weight, allowing dust accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust removal passage.

[0085] In the above configuration, the filter section may be arranged such that the dust storage space is inclined at an angle. The outlet formed at the lower end of the dust discharge passage may have a smaller area than the cross-section of the dust storage space. The on / off valve may be attached to the dust collection section to open or close the outlet. The dust discharge passage communicates with the dust storage space at the lowest point within the dust storage space and may narrow from the dust storage space towards the outlet.

[0086] In the above configuration, the dust discharge passage narrows from the dust storage space towards the outlet formed at the lower end of the dust discharge passage. Therefore, even if the outlet has a smaller area than the cross-section of the dust storage space, dust in the dust storage space can fall into the dust storage chamber through the outlet. Since the outlet can have a relatively small area, the on / off valve does not need to be excessively large.

[0087] In the above configuration, the housing may be provided with a dust discharge port that communicates with the dust storage chamber for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber. The dust collection section may be located adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port on the inner surface of the housing.

[0088] In the configuration described above, relatively fine dust is stored in the dust collection space. If this fine dust falls to the back of the dust collection chamber via the dust discharge port, it may become difficult to remove this dust from the dust collection chamber. For example, if an operator is removing dust from the dust collection chamber and finds fine dust at the back of the chamber, the operator can insert a damp cloth deep into the back of the chamber through the dust discharge port to wipe away the dust. On the other hand, if the dust in the dust collection space falls near the dust discharge port, the operator can remove this dust without having to insert a damp cloth deep into the dust collection chamber. To facilitate such operations, the dust collection section is located adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port on the inner surface of the housing. In this case, dust can fall from the dust collection space at a position close to the dust discharge port.

[0089] In the above configuration, the housing may have a dust outlet that communicates with the dust storage chamber for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber. The vacuum cleaner may have an operating unit that is operated to operate the suction source in a dust removal mode for removing dust adhering to the primary and secondary filters. The suction source may be configured to generate a downward airflow in response to operation of the operating unit.

[0090] In the configuration described above, when the user operates the control unit, the suction source generates a downward airflow. As this airflow passes through the secondary filter, dust adhering to the secondary filter can be detached from it. A portion of the airflow that has passed through the secondary filter can flow through the dust collection space and be discharged from the dust collection space through the dust collection section. The dust detached from the secondary filter is carried by this airflow and discharged into the dust collection chamber.

[0091] A portion of the airflow that has passed through the secondary filter may pass through the primary filter as well. At this time, dust adhering to the primary filter may be pulled off by the airflow passing through the primary filter and fall to the bottom of the dust collection chamber.

[0092] The airflow that flows out of the dust collection space through the dust collection section and the airflow that has passed through the primary filter are exhausted outside the enclosure through the dust outlet. This airflow can also carry dust from inside the dust collection chamber outside the enclosure.

[0093] In the above configuration, the secondary filter may be formed to have a larger area than the primary filter.

[0094] In the above configuration, the second-order filter has a finer mesh than the first-order filter, making it more prone to clogging. To address this drawback of the second-order filter and prevent it from becoming completely clogged, the second-order filter has a larger surface area than the first-order filter.

[0095] In the above configuration, the secondary filter may have a shape that is bent so as to form protrusions.

[0096] In the configuration described above, the secondary filter is bent to form ridges, so the area of ​​the secondary filter is larger than that of a filter with a flat surface by the amount of the ridges. Therefore, the secondary filter is less likely to become completely clogged.

[0097] In the above configuration, the secondary filter may have a curved shape that is convex towards the drive chamber side.

[0098] In the configuration described above, the secondary filter has a curved shape, so its surface area is larger than that of a filter with a flat surface. Therefore, the secondary filter is less likely to become completely clogged. Also, because the secondary filter is curved to protrude towards the drive chamber, the dust collection space can be made wider by the amount of the secondary filter's curvature. [Industrial applicability]

[0099] The vacuum cleaner of the above-described embodiment is suitably used as a device for cleaning work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 100··········vacuum cleaner 111············Cabinet 115············Filter section 116...Suction source 124···························dust exhaust port 142･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 152···························dust storage room 153············Drive Room 171·············First-order filter 172············Second-order filter 173...Dust storage space 174... Slope section 175·············Bend 178･････････････････････････････････････････ 179...Dust falling part 180... Dust exhaust path 181············Opening valve 189············ Drop-off point

Claims

1. A housing comprising a drive chamber containing a suction source that generates suction force to suck up dust, and a dust storage chamber located below the drive chamber into which air and dust sucked up by the suction force of the suction source flow, The housing includes a filter section arranged within the housing so as to vertically partition the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber, The filter unit is A primary filter is configured to allow air to pass from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber due to the suction force of the suction source, while retaining a portion of the dust contained in this air in the dust storage chamber. A secondary filter is provided at a position spaced above the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space between itself and the primary filter for storing dust that has passed through the primary filter, and the secondary filter has a finer mesh than the primary filter. A vacuum cleaner having a dust collection section that has a dust collection passage connecting the dust collection space and the dust collection chamber, so as to allow dust accumulated in the dust collection space to fall into the dust collection chamber when the suction source is stopped.

2. The filter section is arranged such that the dust collection space is in an inclined position. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust collection section is formed such that the dust discharge passage communicates with the dust storage space at the lowest position in the dust storage space.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the primary filter and the secondary filter are arranged such that the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases as it approaches the dust collection area.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the primary filter has a flat inner surface facing the secondary filter.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the primary filter or the secondary filter is provided in an inclined position that is tilted diagonally from a horizontal position.

6. The aforementioned first-order filter is An inclined portion is provided in an inclined position that is tilted diagonally from a horizontal position so that the corner formed on the dust storage chamber side between it and the housing is obtuse angle, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a bent portion that is bent from the inclined portion so as to be in a position closer to the horizontal position than the inclined portion.

7. The filter section has an on / off valve that opens and closes the dust discharge passage. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the on-off valve is configured to be in a closed position that closes the dust discharge passage due to the suction force of the suction source, and to be in an open position that opens the dust discharge passage due to the weight of the on-off valve when the suction source is stopped.

8. The filter section is arranged such that the dust collection space is in an inclined position. The drop-off opening formed at the lower end of the dust discharge passage has a smaller area than the cross-section of the dust storage space. The aforementioned on / off valve is attached to the dust collection section to open and close the drop-off opening, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the dust discharge passage communicates with the dust storage space at the lowest position within the dust storage space and narrows toward the dust outlet from the dust storage space.

9. The housing is provided with a dust discharge port that communicates with the dust storage chamber for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust collection section is arranged on the inner surface of the housing adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port.

10. The housing is provided with a dust discharge port that communicates with the dust storage chamber for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber. The vacuum cleaner has an operating unit that is operated to operate the suction source in a dust removal mode to remove dust adhering to the primary filter and the secondary filter. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction source is configured to generate a downward airflow in response to operation of the control unit.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the secondary filter is formed to have a larger area than the primary filter.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the secondary filter has a shape that is bent so as to form protrusions.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the secondary filter has a curved shape that is convex toward the drive chamber side.

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