Electric vacuum cleaner

Abstract

Provided is a vacuum cleaner with which it is possible to reduce noise. This vacuum cleaner comprises: a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port; a ventilation passage through which air from the intake port flows to the exhaust port; an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage; a dust collection part provided in the ventilation passage at a location upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction; and a sound reduction part provided in the ventilation passage at a location between the dust collection part and the electric suction machine, the sound reduction part reducing noise, including drive sounds from the electric suction machine, at the sound reduction part.

Description

vacuum cleaner

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-124388 filed in Japan on July 31, 2023, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-124406 filed in Japan on July 31, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] As a conventional electric vacuum cleaner, Patent Document 1 discloses a canister-type electric vacuum cleaner in which a partition wall with a communication port is provided between a dust collection chamber and an electric blower inside the vacuum cleaner body, a vibration plate is provided on the upstream side of the partition wall in the airflow direction, and a sound-absorbing material is disposed in a hole-like space provided in the vibration plate. According to this electric vacuum cleaner, when the electric blower is operated, high-frequency sound is generated from the electric blower, and the high-frequency sound is radiated toward the dust collection chamber through the communication port in front of the electric blower, and the high-frequency sound that passes through the vibration plate is absorbed by the sound-absorbing material, thereby reducing noise.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-5561

[0004] In the case of the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1, the sound-absorbing member between the dust collection chamber and the electric blower obstructs the flow of air, and the suction performance is easily reduced due to pressure loss caused by the sound-absorbing member. Therefore, there is a demand for a vacuum cleaner that can reduce noise without reducing suction performance.

[0005] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner made in consideration of the above circumstances.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides an electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port; a ventilation duct that directs air from the air intake port to the exhaust port; an electric suction device provided in the ventilation duct; a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation duct upstream of the electric suction device in the airflow direction; and a sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation duct between the dust collection unit and the electric suction device, which reduces noise, including the driving sound of the electric suction device, by the sound reduction unit.

[0007] According to the vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention, noise can be reduced without reducing suction performance.

[0008] 12 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner of the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suction side sound reducing section of the vacuum cleaner body of FIG. 3. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the exhaust side sound reducing section of the vacuum cleaner body of FIG. 3. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vacuum cleaner body of a first modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suction side sound reducing section of the vacuum cleaner body of the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suction side sound reducing section of the vacuum cleaner body of the third embodiment. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 8. FIG. 19 is a structural explanatory diagram of the suction side sound reducing section of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a structural explanatory diagram of the suction side sound reducing section of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body of the sixth embodiment. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body of FIG. 12 with the lid open.

[0009] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present invention. This vacuum cleaner 1 is a stick-type vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body 2 and a suction port body 3 detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 2. The housing 5 of the vacuum cleaner main body 2 has a cylindrical body 6, a cylindrical tapered portion 7 connected to the body 6, a cylindrical first thin housing portion 8 connected to the tapered portion 7, a cylindrical bent portion 9 connected to the first thin housing portion 8, and a cylindrical second thin housing portion 10 connected to the bent portion 9. In this embodiment, the housing 5 is entirely cylindrical, but is not limited to being cylindrical, and may be partially or entirely rectangular, or may be a cylinder with a polygonal cross section.

[0011] The suction port body 3 comprises a suction port body 11 placed on the floor surface F, a joint portion 12 connected to the suction port body 11, and a connecting pipe portion 13 connected to the joint portion 12. By connecting the connecting pipe portion 13 to the suction port body 11 via the joint portion 12, the connecting pipe portion 13 can rotate in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the suction port body 11. In this description, the direction in which the suction port body 3 moves forward will be referred to as the front, the opposite side will be referred to as the rear, and the right side as you face the front will be referred to as the right side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the left side.

[0012] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the first embodiment. In the housing 5 of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, of the body 6, the first thin housing part 8, and the second thin housing part 10, the body 6 has the largest inner and outer diameters, the first thin housing part 8 has the next largest inner and outer diameters, and the second thin housing part 10 has the smallest inner and outer diameters. Inside the housing 5, a partition wall 21 is provided at the boundary between the first thin housing part 8 and the second thin housing part 10, separating the internal space of the first thin housing part 8 from the internal space of the second thin housing part 10, and the internal space of the first thin housing part 8 and the internal space of the second thin housing part 10 do not communicate with each other.

[0013] 2 shows the state of the vacuum cleaner 1 when cleaning a floor F, in which, when the user holds the second thin housing portion 10, the suction mouth body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is positioned at the frontmost position, the second thin housing portion 10 is positioned at the rearmost position, and the vacuum cleaner body 2 is tilted backward from the bottom end 14 to the top end 15. The second thin housing portion 10 is formed thinner than the first thin housing portion 8 to make it easier for the user to grip, and functions as a handle, and is tilted further toward the floor F relative to the first thin housing portion 8 to make it easier for the user to grip. In the following description, the bottom end 14 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 shown in FIG. 2 may be referred to as one end 14, and the top end 15 may be referred to as the other end 15.

[0014] 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vacuum cleaner body 2 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the first embodiment. The housing 5 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 has an air intake 31 on an end surface of one end 14 of the body 6 and an air exhaust 32 around the periphery of the body 6. Inside the housing 5, there are provided an air passage 33 through which air from the air intake 31 flows to the air exhaust 32, an electric suction device 34 provided in the air passage 33, a dust collection unit 35 provided in the air passage 33 upstream of the electric suction device 34 in the airflow direction, an air intake-side sound-reducing unit 36 ​​provided in the air passage 33 between the dust collection unit 35 and the electric suction device 34 and constituting a part of the air passage 33, and an air exhaust-side sound-reducing unit 37 provided in the air passage 33 between the electric suction device 34 and the air exhaust 32 and constituting a part of the air passage 33. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the suction port body 3 is provided with an air intake-side sound-reducing unit 22 (see FIG. 2 ).

[0015] 3, the second thin housing 10 is provided at a position away from the electric suction device 34 and has a hollow interior, which may house a battery as a power source for driving the electric suction device 34 or an electric cord with a plug that can be connected to a commercial power source. The connection portion 13a (see FIG. 2) of the connection pipe portion 13 of the suction port body 3 can be inserted into and connected to the air intake 31 of the housing 5 of the vacuum cleaner main body 2.

[0016] In the vacuum cleaner main body 2, a dust collection unit 35, an intake-side sound reduction unit 36, and an electric suction device 34 are provided within the trunk 6, in this order from the intake port 31 side. The dust collection unit 35 has an inlet 35a at one end through which dust-containing air flows in from the intake port 31, and an outlet 35b at the other end through which dust-free air is discharged to the intake-side sound reduction unit 36. A dust collection bag or a dust collector is housed in the internal space of the dust collection unit 35. In the case of a dust collection bag, a so-called paper bag is used, which collects dust inside a breathable pack body. In the case of a dust collector, if the dust collection device includes a container body and a filter, it is possible to configure the dust captured by the filter to be stored in the container body, and the dust-free air to be exhausted from the exhaust port of the dust collection device. Alternatively, a cyclone-type dust collector may be provided with a cyclone section including a centrifugal separator (inner cylinder) and a container body. The cyclone section separates dust, stores the separated dust in the container body, and exhausts the dust-free air from the cyclone section's exhaust port. A retractable lid (not shown) forming part of the housing 5 is provided near the dust collector 35. The lid can be opened to remove the dust collection pack or dust collector (dust collection container) from the dust collector 35 and discard the dust. The lid has a double structure in which a portion of the outer wall (housing 5) and a portion of the wall forming the dust collector 35 are integrated. The dust collection pack is removed by opening the lid. The double-structure lid also reduces noise during operation. To more effectively reduce wind noise (intake), a filter-type dust collector or dust collection pack is preferably used rather than a cyclone-type dust collector. This is because in cyclone-type dust collectors, the wind speed increases in the cyclone section, increasing wind noise. Filter-type dust collectors and dust collection packs do not have a cyclone section, so they can reduce wind noise (intake) more than cyclone-type dust collectors.

[0017] Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the suction-side sound-reducing section 36 of the vacuum cleaner body of Figure 3. The suction-side sound-reducing section 36 includes a sound-reducing pipe 41 having an opening at one end 36a connected to the discharge port 35b of the dust collecting section 35 and an opening at the other end 36b connected to the suction port 34a of the electric suction device 34. The suction-side sound-reducing section 36 is configured to reduce noise, including the ventilation noise of air flowing from the dust collecting section 35 to the suction-side sound-reducing section 36 and the driving noise of the electric suction device 34 flowing from the electric suction device 34 to the suction-side sound-reducing section 36; the detailed configuration and sound-reducing effect of the suction-side sound-reducing section 36 will be described in detail below.

[0018] Cylindrical sound-reducing covers 38, 39 are provided around the sound-reducing pipe 41 and the electric suction device 34. The intake-side sound-reducing section 36 includes the sound-reducing cover 38 around the sound-reducing pipe 41. A gap is provided between the housing 5 and the sound-reducing covers 38, 39, and this gap forms part of the ventilation passage 33. The housing 5 is provided with a large number of through-hole-shaped exhaust ports 32 in a section that extends from near the discharge port 35b of the dust collecting section 35 to the electric suction device 34 and that becomes the underside during cleaning.

[0019] 3 , the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 includes a sound-reducing tube 51. The sound-reducing tube 51 has a first end opening 37a connected to the sound-reducing cover 39 and a second end opening 37b located near the partition wall 21 inside the first thin housing 8 (see FIG. 5 ). The second end opening 37b of the sound-reducing tube 51 opens toward the partition wall 21 at the other end of the first thin housing 8. The exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 is configured to reduce noise including ventilation noise of air flowing downstream in the airflow direction from the electric suction machine 34 and driving noise of the electric suction machine 34 flowing downstream in the airflow direction from the electric suction machine 34; the detailed configuration and sound-reducing action of the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 will be described in detail below. In the vacuum cleaner main body 2, the dust collection section 35, the intake side sound reduction section 36, the electric suction machine 34 and the exhaust side sound reduction section 37, which are arranged in order from upstream to downstream in the airflow direction of the ventilation passage 33, are aligned on the same central axis 40.

[0020] 3, the ventilation path 33 includes a first exhaust path 33A extending from the electric suction machine 34 to the inside of the first thin housing 8 and a second exhaust path 33B that turns back at the partition wall 21 inside the first thin housing 8 and extends to the exhaust port 32. The first exhaust path 33A is an exhaust path formed by the sound attenuation tube 51 of the exhaust-side sound attenuation section 37, and the second exhaust path 33B is an exhaust path formed by the outer periphery of the sound attenuation tube 51 and the first thin housing 8. Furthermore, the ventilation path 33 includes a first expansion section 33C at the turning point between the first exhaust path 33A and the second exhaust path 33B, and a second expansion section 33D midway along the second exhaust path 33B. Therefore, when the electric suction device 34 is driven, the air in the ventilation path 33 passes from the intake port 31 through the dust collection section 35, the intake-side sound reduction section 36, the electric suction device 34, and the first exhaust path 33A, enters the first expansion section 33C, turns back, flows into the second exhaust path 33B, passes through the second expansion section 33D midway along the second exhaust path 33B, and is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 32. Note that a sound-absorbing material may be attached to the partition wall 21. The intake air passes through multiple parts that have a sound-reducing effect before being exhausted from the exhaust port 32, such as sound reduction by the suction port body-side sound-reducing section 22 described below, sound reduction by the intake-side sound-reducing section 36, sound reduction by the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37, sound reduction by the second exhaust path 33B that forms a long exhaust path by having a folded-back portion between the first exhaust path 33A and the second exhaust path 33B between the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 and the exhaust port 32, and sound reduction by the first expansion section 33C provided at the folded-back portion between the first exhaust path 33A and the second exhaust path 33B and the second expansion section 33D provided midway along the second exhaust path 33B. Therefore, compared to a case in which multiple parts with a sound-reducing effect, including sound-reducing sections, are not provided, the sound reduction effect is improved, and an electric vacuum cleaner with quieter operation can be realized. In this case, since the dust collection section 35, the intake side sound reduction section 36, the electric suction machine 34 and the exhaust side sound reduction section 37 are aligned on the same central axis 40 within the housing 5, exhaust loss can be kept low and suction performance can be maintained.

[0021] <Intake-Side Sound Attenuator> Returning to FIG. 4 , the intake-side sound attenuator 36 includes a ventilated sound attenuator tube 41. The sound attenuator tube 41 includes a straight tube section 41a having a constant inner and outer diameter and extending straight, and a tapered section 41b whose opening widens toward the upstream side (one end) in the airflow direction. Hereinafter, the tapered section 41b of the sound attenuator tube 41 of the intake-side sound attenuator 36 may be referred to as the first tapered section 41b. The first tapered section 41b is located on the upstream side (one end) of the sound attenuator tube 41 in the airflow direction, and the one-end opening 36a, which is the largest opening of the first tapered section 41b, is connected to the exhaust port 35b of the dust collector 35. The other end (the end on the other end side), which is the smallest opening of the first tapered section 41b, is connected to one end (the end on the one end side) of the straight tube section 41a. The straight pipe section 41a may have a shape that does not have a tapered section 41b on one end side. If there is no tapered section, the dust collection section 35 can be expanded to include the tapered section, thereby increasing the capacity of the dust collection section 35. Alternatively, the noise reduction effect can be improved by extending the straight pipe section 41a to include the tapered section and providing a through-hole 42 (described later) at the extended section. Furthermore, a curved pipe, a pipe bent like a crank, or the like may be used instead of the straight pipe section 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41.

[0022] The sound attenuation tube 41 has a ventilation structure on at least a portion of its peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the ventilation structure of the sound attenuation tube 41 is a plurality of through-holes 42 that penetrate the inner and outer surfaces of the straight tube portion 41a. The plurality of through-holes 42 are provided around the entire circumference of the straight tube portion 41a, extending from one end of the straight tube portion 41a to the vicinity of the other end opening 36b. The plurality of through-holes 42 allow air inside the straight tube portion 41a to ventilate into an expansion chamber 43, which is the internal space between the straight tube portion 41a and the sound attenuation cover 38. The expansion chamber 43 is an annular space centered on the central axis 40 of the vacuum cleaner body 2. In this embodiment, the through-holes 42 are circular, but the shape of the through-holes 42 is not particularly limited and may be elliptical, oblong, polygonal (including a lattice shape) such as a triangle or a rectangle, or an irregular shape. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the through holes 42 penetrate the straight pipe portion 41a in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 40, but the through holes 42 may penetrate the straight pipe portion 41a in a direction oblique to the central axis 40. Furthermore, the range in which the multiple through holes 42 are provided may not be the entire longitudinal circumference of the straight pipe portion 41a, but may be a part of the circumference, or may be a range extending from the vicinity of one end of the straight pipe portion 41a to the vicinity of the other end opening 36b, or a range extending from the end of one end of the straight pipe portion 41a to the other end opening 36b. Alternatively, the through holes 42 may not be provided in the middle of the straight pipe portion 41a, but may be provided in a predetermined range toward the end of one end and a predetermined range toward the other end opening 36b.

[0023] 4, an annular sealing member (not shown) is provided around the vicinity of the suction port 34a of the electric suction machine 34, and the other end opening 36b of the sound attenuation tube 41 is in close contact with this sealing member. The inner diameter of the other end opening 36b of the sound attenuation tube 41 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the suction port 34a of the electric suction machine 34, and the other end opening 36b completely surrounds the suction port 34a.

[0024] In this embodiment, a connecting tubular portion 44 is provided on the other end side of the sound attenuation tube 41. The connecting tubular portion 44 has an inner diameter and an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter and outer diameter of the other-end opening 36b of the sound attenuation tube 41, and the other-end opening 44a of the connecting tubular portion 44 is connected to the one-end opening 39a of the sound attenuation cover 39. Furthermore, a step portion 44b is provided on the connecting tubular portion 44 on the one-end side of the other-end opening 44a, and the other-end opening 38a of the sound attenuation cover 38 is fitted into and connected to the outer peripheral surface of the step portion 44b. The one-end opening 38b of the sound attenuation cover 38 abuts against the outer surface of the first tapered portion 41b of the sound attenuation tube 41 with almost no gap between them.

[0025] According to this embodiment, during cleaning, the intake-side sound-reducing unit 36 ​​can suppress noise leakage to the outside of the housing 5, including airflow noise generated when air flows in and out of the dust collecting unit 35 and drive noise generated by the electric suction device 34, in the following manner: Noise generated on the dust collecting unit 35 side and the electric suction device 34 side is transmitted inside the sound-reducing tube 41. The noise (sound waves) is introduced into the expansion chamber 43 through the multiple through-holes 42 of the sound-reducing tube 41, and a portion of the noise is reduced by sound wave interference within the expansion chamber 43. This reduces the level of noise leaking to the outside of the housing 5. Furthermore, a sound-reducing cover 38 is provided on the outside of the other end of the straight tube portion 41a and the first tapered portion 41b of the sound-reducing tube 41 as an inner cylindrical wall of the inner space (expansion chamber 43), and the housing 5 is provided on the outside of the sound-reducing cover 38 as an outer cylindrical wall of the outer space (part of the second exhaust passage 33B). In this way, the intake-side sound-reducing section 36 has a configuration in which, from the inside of the sound-reducing pipe 41 to the outside, a wall (sound-reducing pipe 41), a space (expansion chamber 43), a wall (sound-reducing cover 38), a space (part of the second exhaust path 33B), and a wall (housing 5) are arranged, so this structure also contributes to noise reduction. Furthermore, the sound-reducing cover 39 around the electric suction machine 34 also contributes to noise reduction.

[0026] <Exhaust-Side Sound Attenuating Section> Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the exhaust-side sound attenuating section 37 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, the first exhaust passage 33A has a ventilated sound attenuating pipe 51. The sound attenuating pipe 51 has a straight pipe section 51a and a tapered section 51b whose opening widens toward the upstream side (one end) in the airflow direction. Hereinafter, the tapered section 51b of the sound attenuating pipe 51 of the exhaust-side sound attenuating section 37 may be referred to as the second tapered section 51b. The second tapered section 51b is provided on the upstream side (one end) of the sound attenuating pipe 51 in the airflow direction, and the one-end opening 37a, which is the largest opening of the second tapered section 51b, is connected to the other-end opening of the sound attenuating cover 39. The other end, which is the smallest opening of the second tapered section 51b, is connected to one end of the straight pipe section 51a. High-frequency sound from the electric suction device 34 is attenuated while being reflected off the tapered inner surface of the second tapered portion 51b, whose cross-sectional area decreases toward the downstream side in the air flow direction. The length from one end to the other of the second tapered portion 51b is longer than the longitudinal length of the electric suction device 34. By lengthening the length of the second tapered portion in this way, the taper angle of the second tapered portion 51b can also be made gentler, thereby improving the attenuation effect of high-frequency sound.

[0027] The sound attenuation tube 51 has a ventilation structure on at least a portion of its peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the ventilation structure of the sound attenuation tube 51 is a plurality of through holes 53 that penetrate the inner and outer surfaces of the straight pipe portion 51a. The range in which the plurality of through holes 53 are provided is the entire circumference of the straight pipe portion 51a, extending from near one end of the straight pipe portion 51a to near the middle portion. A sound attenuation cover 56 that covers the plurality of through holes 53 is provided in the range in which the plurality of through holes 53 are provided in the straight pipe portion 51a. The plurality of through holes 53 allow air inside the straight pipe portion 51a to ventilate into an expansion chamber 57, which is the internal space between the straight pipe portion 51a and the sound attenuation cover 56. The expansion chamber 57 is an annular space centered on the central axis 40 of the vacuum cleaner body 2. In this embodiment, the through holes 53 are circular; however, the shape of the through holes 53 is not particularly limited and may be elliptical, oval, polygonal (including lattice-shaped) such as triangular or rectangular, or irregular. The second exhaust passage 33B is an annular space surrounding the sound-reducing tube 51. The range in which the multiple through holes 42 are provided may be a range extending over the entire longitudinal circumference of the straight pipe section 51a, a range extending from near one end of the straight pipe section 51a to near the other end opening 36b, or a range extending from the end of the straight pipe section 51a to the other end opening 37b. Alternatively, the through holes 53 may not be provided in the middle of the straight pipe section 51a, but may be provided in a predetermined range near the one end and a predetermined range near the other end opening 37b. In addition, in this embodiment, the through holes 53 penetrate the straight pipe section 51a perpendicular to the central axis 40, but the through holes 53 may also penetrate the straight pipe section 51a obliquely relative to the central axis 40.

[0028] During cleaning, noise generated by the electric suction device 34 is transmitted inside the sound-reducing tube 51. The noise (sound waves) is introduced into the expansion chamber 57 through the multiple through-holes 53 of the sound-reducing tube 51, where a portion of the noise is attenuated by sound wave interference within the expansion chamber 57. This reduces the level of noise leaking outside the housing 5. A sound-absorbing material may be provided to cover at least a portion of the outer surface or inner surface of the sound-reducing tube 51, or a sound-absorbing material may be provided to cover at least a portion of the outer surface or inner surface of the sound-reducing cover 39. The electric suction device 34 is preferably attached to the sound-reducing cover 39 or the tapered portion 51b of the sound-reducing tube 51 via an elastic member such as rubber. This reduces the transmission of vibrations from the electric suction device 34 to the sound-reducing cover 39 or the tapered portion 51b. The sound-reducing cover 39 or the sound-reducing tube 51 is preferably attached to the inner surface of the housing 5 via an elastic member such as rubber. This reduces the transmission of vibrations from the electric suction device 34 to the housing 5. Furthermore, rubber (e.g., butyl rubber) may be attached to the electric suction machine 34, the sound-reducing cover 39, the sound-reducing tube 51, etc. This reduces transmission of vibrations from the electric suction machine 34 to the housing 5. The second expansion section 33D around the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 is formed by making the angle that the tapered section 7 of the housing 5 forms with respect to the central axis 40 gentler than the angle that the tapered section 51b of the sound-reducing tube 51 of the exhaust-side sound-reducing section 37 forms with respect to the central axis 40, and by positioning the end of the tapered section 7 on the first thin housing section 8 side closer to the second thin housing section 10 (the other end side) than the end of the tapered section 51b on the straight tube section 51a side (see FIG. 5 ).

[0029] <Regarding the Suction Port Body-Side Sound Attenuating Section> As shown in FIG. 2 , the suction port body-side sound attenuating section 22 is provided inside the connecting pipe 13 of the suction port body 3. The suction port body-side sound attenuating section 22 has a sound attenuating tube 22b with multiple through-holes 22a formed around its entire circumference. An expansion chamber 23 is provided between the housing of the connecting pipe 13 and the sound attenuating tube 22b, surrounding the sound attenuating tube 22b. During cleaning, noise generated on the vacuum cleaner body 2 side is transmitted inside the suction port body-side sound attenuating section 22. The sound waves are introduced into the expansion chamber 23 through the through-holes 22a, and a portion of the noise is attenuated by sound wave interference within the expansion chamber 23. This reduces the level of noise leaking to the outside. The suction port body 3 may have multiple through-holes in the upper wall of a rotary brush housing section that houses the rotary brush 24, and an expansion chamber may be provided above the upper wall of the rotary brush housing section, thereby providing a separate suction port body-side sound attenuating section. This separate suction port body side sound reduction section can reduce noise including the driving noise of the rotary brush 24 and airflow noise.

[0030] As described above, in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2 ), the rotary brush 24, dust collection unit 35, and electric suction unit 34, which are noise generating components, are concentrated upstream of the airflow direction of the vacuum cleaner 1, with no noise generating sources located downstream. Furthermore, the second thin housing 10, which functions as a handle and is thinner than the first thin housing 8 to facilitate a user's grip, is located at the opposite end farthest from the suction port body 3. This structure positions noise generating sources farther from the user using the vacuum cleaner 1, while providing a sound-reducing structure closer to the user, reducing the transmission of noise to the user. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 2 is constructed using cylindrical components, such as the dust collection unit 35, the straight pipe portion 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41, the sound-reducing covers 38 and 39, and the straight pipe portion 51a of the sound-reducing pipe 51. However, the components are not limited to being cylindrical and may be partially or entirely rectangular or have a polygonal cross section.

[0031] (Variation 1 of the First Embodiment) FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a vacuum cleaner main body according to Variation 1 of the first embodiment. In FIG. 6, elements similar to those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the vacuum cleaner main body 2X according to Variation 1, the positions of the multiple exhaust ports 32 are closer to one end of the housing 5 than the electric suction device 34. That is, while the exhaust ports 32 are provided in a portion overlapping with the electric suction device 34 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), the exhaust ports 32 are not provided in a portion overlapping with the electric suction device 34 in Variation 1. For example, the exhaust ports 32 may be provided in a portion that is on the underside during cleaning, extending from near the discharge port 35b of the dust collection unit 35 to in front of the electric suction device 34. This eliminates the exhaust ports 32 facing and close to the sound-reducing cover 39 that covers the electric suction device 34, thereby reducing noise leakage to the outside compared to when there are exhaust ports 32 facing and close to the sound-reducing cover 39 (see FIG. 3).

[0032] (Second Modification of First Embodiment) In the intake-side sound-attenuating section 36 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , a plurality of through holes 42 are provided on the peripheral surface of the sound-attenuation tube 41 as a ventilated structure. However, the ventilated structure provided on the peripheral surface of the sound-attenuation tube 41 is not limited to a plurality of through holes 42. For example, a ventilated porous sound-absorbing material may be provided on the peripheral surface (inner surface) of the sound-attenuation tube 41 that does not have through holes. In this case, the sound-attenuation cover 38 may be omitted from the sound-attenuation tube 41. Alternatively, a portion of the sound-attenuation tube 41 that does not have through holes may be made of a ventilated porous sound-absorbing material. In this case, noise (sound waves) pass through the sound-absorbing material and enter the expansion chamber 43, where they are reduced.

[0033] Second Embodiment Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the suction-side sound-reducing section 61 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 of a second embodiment. In Figure 7, elements that are the same as those in Figure 4 are given the same reference numerals. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the suction-side sound-reducing section 61; the other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0034] 7, in the second embodiment, the intake-side sound-reducing section 61 includes a sound-reducing pipe 41 similar to that of the first embodiment, which has a straight pipe portion 41a and a tapered portion 41b, and a sound-absorbing material 62 that covers the entire outer surface of the straight pipe portion 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41. The sound-absorbing material 62 may be, for example, a thin sheet of urethane foam. By providing the sound-absorbing material 62, sound waves attempting to enter the expansion chamber 43 are absorbed by the sound-absorbing material 63, further improving sound insulation performance (noise reduction performance).

[0035] 7 illustrates an example in which a thin sheet-like sound-absorbing material 62 is wrapped around the outer surface of the sound attenuation tube 41, but the sound-absorbing material 62 may be large enough to cover almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber 43 (large enough to fill almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber 43). Also, the sound-absorbing material 62 may cover only a portion of the outer surface of the sound attenuation tube 41, or may cover at least a portion of the inner surface of the sound attenuation tube 41, or may cover at least a portion of both the outer and inner surfaces of the sound attenuation tube 41.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 5 , the exhaust-side sound-reducing section of the second embodiment will be described. The exhaust-side sound-reducing section includes a sound-reducing pipe 51 similar to that of the first embodiment, having a straight pipe portion 51a and a tapered portion 51b, and a thin sheet-like sound-absorbing material (not shown) covering the entire outer surface of the straight pipe portion 51a of the sound-reducing pipe 51. For example, urethane foam can be used as the sound-absorbing material. By providing the sound-absorbing material, sound waves attempting to enter the expansion chamber 57 are absorbed by the sound-absorbing material, thereby further improving sound insulation performance. While the example shows a case in which the thin sheet-like sound-absorbing material is wrapped around the outer surface of the sound-reducing pipe 51, the sound-absorbing material may be large enough to cover almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber 57 (i.e., large enough to fill almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber). Furthermore, the sound-absorbing material may cover only a portion of the outer surface of the sound-reducing pipe 51, or may cover at least a portion of the inner surface of the sound-reducing pipe 51, or may cover at least a portion of both the outer and inner surfaces of the sound-reducing pipe 51.

[0037] Explaining the second embodiment further with reference to FIG. 5 , a sound-absorbing material (e.g., urethane foam) (not shown) may be installed in the second exhaust path 33B. More specifically, the annular space around the sound-reducing pipe 51, which is the second exhaust path 33B, may be filled with sound-absorbing material. The sound-absorbing material used should be breathable and allow exhaust air to pass through. While this may make exhaust somewhat more difficult, sound waves are absorbed by the sound-absorbing material, improving the sound-reducing effect. The first expansion section 33C, located at the turnback between the first exhaust path 33A and the second exhaust path 33B, and the second expansion section 33D, located midway along the second exhaust path 33B, may also be filled with similar sound-absorbing material.

[0038] (Third embodiment) Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the intake-side sound-reducing section 71 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 of the third embodiment. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in Figure 8. In Figure 8, elements that are the same as those in Figure 4 are given the same reference numerals. The only difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is the configuration of the intake-side sound-reducing section 71; the other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0039] 8 and 9 , in the third embodiment, the intake-side sound-reducing section 71 is provided between the tapers of the first tapered section 41b and further includes a circular reflector 72 that reflects drive noise from the electric suction device 34. The reflector 72 has a plurality of legs 73 that are fixed to the inner surface of the first tapered section 41b. The reflector 72 has a planar area larger than the area of ​​the smallest opening 74 of the first tapered section 41b and is positioned so as to overlap the smallest opening 74 of the first tapered section 41b when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the electric suction device 34 (the direction of the central axis 40). The reflector 72 is made of resin, metal, a composite material thereof, or the like.

[0040] A gap is provided between the reflecting plate 72 and the inner surface of the first tapered portion 41b, allowing air and noise from the dust collecting unit 35 to pass through. By providing the reflecting plate 72 in the intake-side sound-reducing unit 71 of the third embodiment, when sound waves (driving noise) from the electric suction machine 34 pass through the straight pipe portion 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41, the sound waves are reflected by the reflecting plate 72, thereby reducing the likelihood of sound waves emitted from the opening 74 heading directly toward the dust collecting unit 35. The reflecting plate may also be positioned so that sound waves reflected by the reflecting plate 72 and returning to the straight pipe portion 41a and sound waves heading from the electric suction machine 34 toward the straight pipe portion 41a collide with and cancel each other out. Therefore, according to the intake-side sound-reducing unit 71 of the third embodiment, in addition to reducing noise (sound waves) that pass through the multiple through holes 42 of the straight pipe portion 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41 in the expansion chamber 43, as in the first embodiment, the noise-reducing effect of the reflecting plate 72 can be obtained. If the sound-reducing tube 41 does not have a tapered section 41b whose opening widens toward the upstream side (one end) in the airflow direction, the opening 74 can be connected to a hole in the other end wall of the dust collecting section 35 that faces the upstream opening 74 of the straight tube section 41a, a lattice plate can be provided a short distance from the other end wall within the dust collecting section 35, and a reflector 72 can be placed on the lattice plate at a position overlapping the opening 74. In this manner, if a dust collecting bag is housed in the internal space of the dust collecting section 35, the dust collecting bag can be prevented from adhering to the opening 74 and blocking it. If a dust collecting device is housed in the internal space of the dust collecting section 35, and the dust collecting device has a filter, the reflector 72 can be placed between the filter and the opening 74. In the case of a cyclone-type dust collecting device, the reflector 72 can be placed between the exhaust port of the cyclone section and the opening 74.

[0041] (Variation of the Third Embodiment) The intake side sound-reducing section 71 of the third embodiment shown in Figure 8 may further include a sound-absorbing material that covers at least a portion of at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the straight pipe section 41a of the sound-reducing pipe 41.

[0042] (Fourth embodiment) Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of an intake-side sound-reducing section 91 of a fourth embodiment. In Figure 10, elements that are the same as elements in Figure 4 are given the same reference numerals. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the intake-side sound-reducing section 91; the other configurations of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 10 , in the intake-side sound attenuation unit 91 of the fourth embodiment, the sound attenuation pipe 92 includes a straight pipe section 92a, a tapered section 92b (hereinafter referred to as the first tapered section 92b), a connecting pipe section 92c connecting the straight pipe section 92a and the first tapered section 92b, and a baffle plate 92d provided inside the straight pipe section 92a. The baffle plate 92d is configured to gradually change the direction of air flow through the sound attenuation pipe 92. The peripheral wall of the straight pipe section 92a does not have through holes (see FIG. 4 ) as in the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the dust collecting unit 35 and the electric suction machine 34 are arranged on the same central axis 40, so a housing similar to the housing 5 (see FIG. 3 ) of the first embodiment can be used.

[0044] In this embodiment, the baffle plate 92d of the sound-reducing tube 92 changes the direction of airflow (arrow A) flowing into the sound-reducing tube 92 from the dust collection section 35 to a direction reversed by 180 degrees (arrow B), and then changes the direction of the airflow again to a direction reversed by 180 degrees (arrow C) and guides the air toward the electric suction device 34, thereby gradually changing the direction of the airflow. Meanwhile, sound waves (driving noise) from the electric suction device 34 travel through the sound-reducing tube 92 in the opposite direction to the airflow within the sound-reducing tube 92, and the sound waves attenuate as they travel through the sound-reducing tube 92. In this way, the intake-side sound-reducing section 91 of the fourth embodiment can also reduce the noise of the vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, as can be seen from FIG. 10 , the ventilation passage inside the sound-reducing tube 92 is configured such that narrow and wide sections alternate in the airflow direction, with the wide sections serving as expansion sections. The air flowing into the sound-reducing tube 92 passes through multiple expansion sections before being sucked into the electric suction device 34. In this way, noise can be reduced by passing through multiple expansion sections.

[0045] 10 may be configured to continuously change the direction of air flow passing through the sound attenuation pipe 92. In this case, the direction of air flow is continuously changed, for example, by causing the direction of air flow (arrow A) flowing from the dust collection unit 35 into the sound attenuation pipe 92 to change in a spiral direction while being guided toward the electric suction machine 34. On the other hand, sound waves (driving noise) from the electric suction machine 34 travel through the sound attenuation pipe 92 in a path opposite to the air flow in the sound attenuation pipe 92, and the sound waves attenuate as they travel through the sound attenuation pipe 92.

[0046] (Variation 2 of Fourth Embodiment) The intake-side sound-reducing section 91 of the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 10 may have a sound-absorbing material covering at least a part of the inner surface of the straight pipe section 92a of the sound-reducing pipe 92, or may have a sound-absorbing material covering at least a part of the surface of the baffle plate 92d. Note that the sound-reducing structures of the fourth embodiment, Variation 1 of the fourth embodiment, and Variation 2 of the fourth embodiment are applicable to exhaust-side sound-reducing sections.

[0047] Fifth Embodiment Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the intake-side sound-reducing section 101 of the fifth embodiment. In Fig. 11, elements that are the same as those in Fig. 4 are given the same reference numerals. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the intake-side sound-reducing section 101; the other configurations of the fifth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0048] 11 , the intake-side sound attenuation section 101 of the fifth embodiment includes a first sound attenuation pipe 103 provided on the rotation axis 102 of the electric suction machine 34, and a second sound attenuation pipe 104 connected to the first sound attenuation pipe 103. The first sound attenuation pipe 103 has an open end 103a on the downstream side in the airflow direction that connects to the suction port 34a of the electric suction machine 34, a closed end 103b provided opposite the open end 103a, and a connection hole 103c provided on the wall surface between the open end 103a and the closed end 103b and through which air flows in from the intake port 31 (see FIG. 3 ). The inner and outer diameters of the first sound attenuation pipe 103 on the closed end 103b side are larger than the inner and outer diameters on the open end 103a side, and the internal space on the closed end 103b side forms an expansion section 103d.

[0049] The second sound attenuation tube 104 has a bent tube section 104a having the other end connected to the connecting hole 103c of the first sound attenuation tube 103, and a tapered section 104b (hereinafter referred to as the first tapered section 104b) connecting one end of the bent tube section 104a to the dust collection section 35. In this embodiment, the central axis 105 of the dust collection section 35 and the rotation axis 102 of the electric suction device 34 are misaligned but parallel to each other, and the bent tube section 104a is bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. In the fifth embodiment, the dust collection section 35 and the electric suction device 34 are not arranged on the same axis, so a housing different from the housing 5 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3) is used.

[0050] In this suction-side sound-reducing section 101, air (arrow D) from the dust collecting section 35 flows into the electric suction device 34 via the second sound-reducing pipe 104 and the first sound-reducing pipe 103. Meanwhile, sound waves E (driving noise) from the electric suction device 34 reach the closed end 103b from the open end 103a of the first sound-reducing pipe 103 and are reflected by the closed end 103b toward the electric suction device 34. At this time, sound waves G (reflected sound) reflected by the closed end 103b can cancel out the sound waves E (driving noise) from the electric suction device 34 to some extent. In this way, the suction-side sound-reducing section 101 of the fifth embodiment can also reduce the noise of the vacuum cleaner.

[0051] (Modification of Fifth Embodiment) The intake-side sound attenuation section 101 of the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 11 may further include a sound-absorbing material that covers at least a portion of the inner surface of the closed end 103b of the first sound attenuation pipe 103. Note that the sound attenuation structures of the fifth embodiment and modification 1 of the fifth embodiment are applicable to exhaust-side sound attenuation sections.

[0052] (Sixth embodiment) Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner body of a sixth embodiment. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the vacuum cleaner body of Fig. 12 with the lid open. In Figs. 12 and 13, elements that are the same as elements in Figs. 1 and 3 are given the same reference numerals. In the sixth embodiment, the dust collection unit 35 and the lid 110 that opens and closes the dust collection unit 35 provided in each vacuum cleaner body of the first to third embodiments and their modified examples will be described in detail. The lid 110 corresponds to the lid in the first embodiment.

[0053] In the vacuum cleaner body 2 of the sixth embodiment, the dust collection unit 35 has an inner wall 112 that surrounds a dust trapping body 111 stored in the dust collection unit 35. Fig. 13 illustrates a case where the dust trapping body 111 is a dust collection pack. The body 6 of the housing 5 has an outer wall 113 that surrounds the dust collection unit 35. A gap 114 is provided between the inner wall 112 and the outer wall 113. The gap 114 may form part of the ventilation passage.

[0054] A curved rectangular outer opening 115 is provided in the outer wall 113 near the dust collecting unit 35, and a curved rectangular inner opening 116 is provided in the inner wall 112 near the outer opening 115. The outer opening 115 and the inner opening 116 are formed to be approximately the same size and shape, and the outer peripheral edge of the outer opening 115 and the outer peripheral edge of the inner opening 116 are arranged to overlap each other. Note that the outer opening 115 may be slightly larger than the inner opening 116. In addition, in this embodiment, since the body 6 is cylindrical and the dust collecting unit 35 is also cylindrical, the outer opening 115 and the inner opening 116 are curved rectangular. However, if the outer wall 113 and the inner wall 112 are flat, the outer opening 115 and the inner opening 116 may be polygonal, including an uncurved rectangular. In this way, the outer opening 115 and the inner opening 116 may be formed in shapes corresponding to the shapes of the body 6 (outer wall 113) and the dust collecting section 35 (inner wall 112).

[0055] The lid 110 has an inner wall 110a that constitutes a portion of the inner wall 112 and an outer wall 110b that constitutes a portion of the outer wall 113, and is formed into an arc-shaped plate overall. In this embodiment, the lid 110 has a gap between the inner wall 110a and the outer wall 110b, and the gap is sealed by a peripheral wall 110c that connects the outer peripheral edges of the inner wall 110a and the outer wall 110b. Furthermore, a sealing member (not shown) is provided around the entire periphery of the peripheral wall 110c. When the lid 110 is closed, the sealing member is in close contact with the peripheral edges of the inner wall 110a and the outer wall 110b. Note that the peripheral wall 110c and the sealing member may be partially open to allow air to flow into the gap between the inner wall 110a and the outer wall 110b. For example, the peripheral wall 110c and the sealing member may be partially open at one end and the other end.

[0056] The lid 110 is attached to an outer wall 113 near the outer opening 115 via a hinge 117 at one side thereof so as to be able to open and close. A knob 118 is provided on the outer wall 110b of the lid 110 opposite the hinge 117, and is gripped with fingers when opening and closing the lid 110. Furthermore, a locking mechanism (not shown) is provided near the knob 118 of the lid 110. This locking mechanism is configured so that, for example, in a locked state, a locking claw of the locking mechanism engages with a locking portion on the periphery of the outer opening 115, and by rotating the knob 118, the locking claw disengages from the locking portion, allowing the lid 110 to be opened. The inner wall 110a of the closed lid 110 is disposed substantially flush with the inner wall 112, and the outer wall 110b of the closed lid 110 is disposed substantially flush with the outer wall 113. The hinge portion 117 may be provided in the gap portion 114 so as to connect the inner wall 112 and the outer wall 113 together.

[0057] The vacuum cleaner body 2 is provided with sound-absorbing material (not shown) in at least a part of at least one of the gap 114 between the inner wall 112 and the outer wall 113 and the gap between the inner wall 110a and the outer wall 110b of the lid 110. Noise generated by air passing through the internal space of the dust collecting unit 35 is less likely to leak outside the periphery of the dust collecting unit 35 because the internal space of the dust collecting unit 35 is covered by the double-wall structure of the inner wall 112 and the outer wall 113. Furthermore, noise is absorbed by the sound-absorbing material provided in the gap between the inner wall 112 and the outer wall 113, making it less likely for noise to leak outside the periphery of the dust collecting unit 35.

[0058] (Variation of the Sixth Embodiment) In the sixth embodiment, the dust trap 111 stored in the dust collection unit 35 is illustrated as a dust collection pack. However, the dust trap is not limited to a dust collection pack. For example, the dust trap may be a dust collection device including a dust collection container and a dust trapping unit disposed within the dust collection container that traps dust by passing air through the dust collection container. A filter may be used as the dust trapping unit of this dust collection device. Alternatively, in the case of a cyclone-type dust collection device, one or more centrifugal separators may be used as the dust trapping unit.

[0059] As a conventional electric vacuum cleaner, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-94312 discloses a stick-type electric vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner main body with a built-in electric blower and a dust collecting unit that can be detachably attached to the vacuum cleaner main body.

[0060] In the case of the vacuum cleaner of JP 2021-94312 A, the only wall covering the dust collection unit is the vacuum cleaner body, and only a portion of the dust collection unit is covered by the vacuum cleaner body. As a result, air noise from the airflow passing through the inside of the dust collection unit is likely to leak to the outside, resulting in a loud noise. Therefore, a vacuum cleaner that can further reduce noise is desired.

[0061] The vacuum cleaners according to the first to third embodiments and the sixth embodiment described above are also vacuum cleaners that have been made in consideration of the above circumstances.

[0062] According to the electric vacuum cleaners according to the first to third embodiments and the sixth embodiment, noise can also be reduced.

[0063] The vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention includes, for example, the following vacuum cleaners. Note that the vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention also includes a combination of any one of the vacuum cleaners according to the first aspect of the following, items 1 to 13, and any one of the vacuum cleaners according to the second aspect of the following, to the extent not contradictory.

[0064] The electric vacuum cleaner according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation duct that directs air from the intake port to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation duct, a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation duct upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, and a sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation duct between the dust collection unit and the electric suction machine to reduce noise, including the driving sound of the electric suction machine.

[0065] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the second aspect of the first aspect, in the first aspect of the first aspect, the sound reduction section includes a sound reduction pipe having a breathable structure on at least a portion of the peripheral surface thereof.

[0066] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the third aspect of the first aspect, in the second aspect of the first aspect, the breathable structure is a plurality of through holes that penetrate the inner and outer surfaces of the sound reduction tube.

[0067] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the fourth aspect of the first aspect, in the third aspect of the first aspect, the sound reduction section further includes a sound absorbing material that covers at least a part of at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the sound reduction tube.

[0068] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 5 of the first aspect, in any one of paragraphs 1 to 4 of the first aspect, the open end of the sound reduction tube downstream in the airflow direction is connected to the suction port of the electric suction machine.

[0069] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 6 of the first aspect, in paragraph 5 of the first aspect, the sound-reducing tube has a tapered section at its upstream end in the airflow direction, the opening of which widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction, and the sound-reducing section further has a reflecting plate provided between the tapers of the tapered section to reflect driving noise from the electric suction device.

[0070] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the seventh aspect of the first aspect, in the sixth aspect of the first aspect, the reflector has a planar area larger than the area of ​​the smallest opening of the tapered portion and is positioned so as to overlap with the smallest opening of the tapered portion when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the electric suction machine.

[0071] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 8 of the first aspect, in any one of paragraphs 1 to 4 of the first aspect, the sound-reducing tube has a tapered section at its upstream end in the airflow direction, the opening of which widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction, and the sound-reducing section further has a reflecting plate provided between the tapers of the tapered section to reflect driving noise from the electric suction device.

[0072] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 9 of the first aspect, in paragraph 1 of the first aspect, the sound reduction section has a baffle therein that changes the direction of air flow through the ventilation passage in a stepwise or continuous manner, and the baffle reduces the driving noise of the electric suction machine.

[0073] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to item 10 of the first aspect, in item 1 of the first aspect, the sound reduction section has an open end downstream in the airflow direction that connects to the suction port of the electric suction machine, a closed end that is arranged opposite the open end, and a connection hole that is arranged in the wall surface between the open end and the closed end and through which air flows in from the intake port, and the driving sound from the electric suction machine is reflected by the closed end toward the electric suction machine, and the driving sound from the electric suction machine is reduced by the reflected sound reflected by the closed end.

[0074] The electric vacuum cleaner according to an eleventh aspect of the first aspect is in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the first aspect, wherein the electric vacuum cleaner further includes a sound-reducing cover that covers the periphery of the electric suction unit.

[0075] The electric vacuum cleaner according to item 12 of the first aspect comprises a vacuum cleaner body including a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage through which air from the air intake port flows to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collecting unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, an intake-side sound reducing unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collecting unit and the electric suction machine, and an exhaust-side sound reducing unit provided in the ventilation passage between the electric suction machine and the exhaust port, and the housing has a trunk portion in which the electric suction machine is provided and a sound reducing unit provided in a position away from the electric suction machine. the exhaust port is provided in the housing near the electric suction device; the ventilation path has a first exhaust path extending from the electric suction device to the inside of the thin housing and a second exhaust path that turns around inside the thin housing and extends to the exhaust port; a first expansion portion is provided at the turning point between the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path; and a second expansion portion is provided midway along the second exhaust path; and the exhaust-side sound-reducing portion has a tapered portion whose opening widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction at the end of the first exhaust path on the upstream side in the airflow direction.

[0076] The electric vacuum cleaner according to item 13 of the first aspect comprises a vacuum cleaner body including a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage for directing air from the air intake port to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collecting unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, an intake-side sound reducing unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collecting unit and the electric suction machine, and an exhaust-side sound reducing unit provided in the ventilation passage between the electric suction machine and the exhaust port, and a suction port body connectable to the air intake port of the vacuum cleaner body, and the housing includes a trunk portion in which the electric suction machine is provided and a rear portion positioned away from the electric suction machine. the exhaust port is provided in the vicinity of the electric suction device in the housing; the ventilation path has a first exhaust path extending from the electric suction device to the inside of the thin housing and a second exhaust path that turns around inside the thin housing and extends to the exhaust port; the ventilation path has a first expansion section at the turning point between the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path and a second expansion section midway along the second exhaust path; the exhaust-side sound-reducing section has a tapered section whose opening widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction at the end of the first exhaust path on the upstream side in the airflow direction; and the suction port body is provided with a suction port body-side sound-reducing section.

[0077] The electric vacuum cleaner according to the first paragraph of the second aspect comprises a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation duct for directing air from the intake port to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation duct, and a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation duct upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction and detachably housing a dust capture body that captures dust in the sucked air, the dust collection unit having an inner wall that surrounds the dust capture body housed within the dust collection unit, and the housing having an outer wall that surrounds the dust collection unit.

[0078] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 2 of the second aspect, in paragraph 1 of the second aspect, an outer opening is provided in the outer wall near the dust collection unit, an inner opening is provided in the inner wall near the outer opening, and a lid body that opens and closes the inner opening and the outer opening, and the lid body forms part of the inner wall and part of the outer wall.

[0079] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the third aspect of the second aspect, in the second aspect of the second aspect, a gap is provided between the inner wall and the outer wall.

[0080] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the fourth aspect of the second aspect, in the third aspect of the second aspect, the gap forms a part of the ventilation passage.

[0081] The vacuum cleaner according to the fifth aspect of the second aspect is the electric vacuum cleaner according to the third or fourth aspect of the second aspect, wherein a sound absorbing material is provided in the gap.

[0082] In the vacuum cleaner according to a sixth aspect of the second aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the second aspect, the dust capturing body is a breathable dust collection bag.

[0083] In the electric vacuum cleaner according to paragraph 7 of the second aspect, in any one of paragraphs 1 to 4 of the second aspect, the dust collecting body has a dust container and a dust capturing section that is provided in the dust container and allows air to pass through to capture dust.

[0084] The electric vacuum cleaner according to item 8 of the second aspect comprises a vacuum cleaner body including a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage for directing air from the air intake port to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, an air intake side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collection unit and the electric suction machine, and an exhaust side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the electric suction machine and the exhaust port, wherein the housing has a body portion in which the electric suction machine is provided and a thin housing portion which is located away from the electric suction machine and is thinner than the body portion, and the dust collection unit has an inner wall which surrounds a dust capture body housed in the dust collection unit, The body has an outer wall that surrounds the dust collection section, the exhaust port is provided near the electric suction machine in the housing, the ventilation path has a first exhaust path that extends from the electric suction machine to inside the thin housing and a second exhaust path that turns around inside the thin housing and extends to the exhaust port, has a first expansion section at the turning point between the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path and has a second expansion section midway along the second exhaust path, the exhaust-side sound-reducing section has a tapered section at the end of the first exhaust path on the upstream side in the airflow direction that widens its opening toward the upstream side in the airflow direction, and the thin housing has a first thin housing connected to the body and a second thin housing connected to the first thin housing and thinner than the first thin housing.

[0085] The electric vacuum cleaner according to the ninth aspect of the second aspect comprises a vacuum cleaner body including a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage through which air from the air intake port flows to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, an intake-side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collection unit and the electric suction machine, and an exhaust-side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the electric suction machine and the exhaust port, and a suction port body connectable to the air intake port of the vacuum cleaner body, wherein the housing has a body portion in which the electric suction machine is provided and a thin housing portion located at a position away from the electric suction machine and thinner than the body portion, and the dust collection unit surrounds a dust capture body stored in the dust collection unit. the body has an outer wall surrounding the dust collecting section; the exhaust port is provided in the housing near the electric suction device; the ventilation path has a first exhaust path extending from the electric suction device to inside the narrow housing and a second exhaust path that turns around inside the narrow housing and extends to the exhaust port; the ventilation path has a first expansion section at the turning point between the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path and a second expansion section midway along the second exhaust path; the exhaust-side sound-reducing section has a tapered section at the end of the first exhaust path on the upstream side in the airflow direction, the tapered section having an opening that widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction; the suction port body has a rotating brush, a drive motor that rotates the rotating brush, a connecting pipe section that can be connected to the suction port of the vacuum cleaner main body, and a suction port body-side sound-reducing section.

[0086] Preferred aspects of the present invention also include any combination of the above-described aspects. In addition to the above-described embodiments, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be interpreted as not falling within the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage through which air from the intake port flows to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, and a sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collection unit and the electric suction machine for reducing noise including the driving sound of the electric suction machine.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the sound reduction section comprises a sound reduction tube having a ventilating structure on at least a portion of its peripheral surface.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the breathable structure is a plurality of through holes penetrating the inner and outer surfaces of the sound-reducing tube.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the sound reduction section further comprises a sound absorbing material covering at least a portion of at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the sound reduction tube.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the open end of the sound reduction tube downstream in the airflow direction is connected to the suction port of an electric suction machine.

6. A vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dust collection unit detachably houses a dust capture body that captures dust in the sucked air, the dust collection unit has an inner wall that surrounds the dust capture body housed within the dust collection unit, and the housing has an outer wall that surrounds the dust collection unit.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, further comprising: an outer opening provided in the outer wall adjacent to the dust collecting section; an inner opening provided in the inner wall adjacent to the outer opening; and a lid for opening and closing the inner opening and the outer opening, the lid constituting a part of the inner wall and a part of the outer wall.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein a gap is provided between the inner wall and the outer wall.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the gap forms a part of the ventilation passage.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8 or 9, wherein sound-absorbing material is provided in the gap.

11. A vacuum cleaner body including a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port, a ventilation passage through which air from the intake port flows to the exhaust port, an electric suction machine provided in the ventilation passage, a dust collection unit provided in the ventilation passage upstream of the electric suction machine in the airflow direction, an intake side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the dust collection unit and the electric suction machine, and an exhaust side sound reduction unit provided in the ventilation passage between the electric suction machine and the exhaust port, wherein the housing has a body portion in which the electric suction machine is provided and a thin housing portion which is provided at a position away from the electric suction machine and is thinner than the body portion, the exhaust port is provided in the housing near the electric suction machine, the ventilation passage has a first exhaust passage extending from the electric suction machine to inside the thin housing portion and a second exhaust passage which turns back within the thin housing portion and extends to the exhaust port, a first expansion portion is provided at the turning back portion between the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage, and a second expansion portion is provided midway along the second exhaust passage, The exhaust-side sound-reducing section of the electric vacuum cleaner has a tapered section whose opening widens toward the upstream side in the airflow direction, at an end of the first exhaust passage on the upstream side in the airflow direction.

Images