Vacuum cleaning system

Abstract

The present invention provides a vacuum cleaning system (S) that can make a vacuum cleaner (1) small and easy to maintain. This vacuum cleaning system (S) is provided with a vacuum cleaner (1) and a stand (2) on which the vacuum cleaner (1) is mounted. The vacuum cleaner (1) has: a suction tool (17) having a cleaning body (171) and a suction port (170); and a first dust collection unit (12) that collects dust sucked in from the suction port (170) by means of an air flow generated by a first electric blower (11). The stand (2) has: a cleaning means (25) that removes the dust adhered to the cleaning body (171) of the suction tool (17) of the vacuum cleaner (1); and a second dust collection unit (22) that collects the dust collected by the first dust collection unit (12) and sucked in by the air flow generated by the second electric blower (21). The dust removed from the cleaning body (171) by the cleaning means (25) is collected in the second dust collection part (22) via the first dust collection unit (12) by operating the second electric blower (21).

Description

Electric cleaning system

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an electric cleaning system including a vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the vacuum cleaner is mounted.

[0002] Conventionally, in an electric cleaning system in which a vacuum cleaner is mounted on a stand for storage after cleaning, there is known one that removes dust entangled with a rotating cleaning body of a suction tool provided in the vacuum cleaner in a stored state where the vacuum cleaner is mounted on the stand. In this configuration, in the vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, by rotating the rotating cleaning body by an electric motor, dust is scraped off from the rotating cleaning body by the cleaning means on the stand side, and by the suction operation of the electric blower provided in the vacuum cleaner, the scraped dust is sucked into the dust collection part of the vacuum cleaner and collected. Therefore, the frequency of discarding the dust collected in the dust collection part increases, and in order to reduce that frequency, it is necessary to increase the size of the dust collection part, which makes the vacuum cleaner heavier.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7472833

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

[0005] The electric cleaning system of this embodiment comprises an electric vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the electric vacuum cleaner is mounted. The electric vacuum cleaner has a suction attachment having a cleaning body and a suction port, a first electric blower that generates an airflow to be sucked in from the suction port, and a first dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the first electric blower. The stand has a support column that supports the electric vacuum cleaner, a base that supports the support column relative to the installation position, an opposing part that faces the suction attachment of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, a cleaning means arranged in the opposing part to remove dust adhering to the cleaning body of the suction attachment of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, a second electric blower that generates an airflow to suck in the dust collected in the first dust collection unit of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, and a second dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the second electric blower. The dust removed from the cleaning body by the cleaning means is collected in the second dust collection unit via the first dust collection unit by operating the second electric blower.

[0006] According to this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner can be made small and easy to maintain.

[0007] This is a cross-sectional view showing an electric cleaning system of one embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the electric cleaning system. This is a perspective view showing an example of the electric cleaning machine of the electric cleaning system in use. This is a perspective view showing the stand of the electric cleaning system. This is a perspective view showing the electric cleaning system. Embodiment

[0008] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] In Figures 1, 2, and 5, S represents an electric cleaning system. The electric cleaning system S comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 1 and a stand 2. The electric cleaning system S is configured such that when cleaning, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and operated, and when cleaning is finished, the stopped electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be attached to the stand 2 for storage.

[0010] The vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a first power supply unit 10, which is the power supply unit for the vacuum cleaner, and is driven by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. The vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a first electric blower 11, which is the electric blower for the vacuum cleaner, and collects dust in a first dust collection unit 12, which is the dust collection unit for the vacuum cleaner, by the suction operation of the first electric blower 11. The operation of the first electric blower 11 is controlled by a first control means 13, which is the control means for the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 1 is also equipped with a gripping part 14 that is held by the user during cleaning operations. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with an operation switch 15 for setting the operating operation of the vacuum cleaner 1, and the operating operation of the vacuum cleaner 1 is controlled according to the operation of the operation switch 15 by the user.

[0011] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is, for example, a handheld or stick-type electric vacuum cleaner. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a vacuum cleaner body 16, to which an attachment, a suction tool 17, is connected either directly or via a pipe 18. In the figures, an example is shown where the suction tool 17 is connected to the vacuum cleaner body 16 via a pipe 18. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is detachable from the stand 2, and is removed from the stand 2 when in use and attached to the stand 2 when cleaning is finished or when storing.

[0012] In this embodiment, a cordless electric vacuum cleaner is given as an example, in which the first power supply unit 10 is a DC power supply unit such as a secondary battery or a rechargeable battery, but it may also be a cord reel device or the like that which draws power from a commercial power source. The first power supply unit 10 is located, for example, inside the gripping unit 14. However, it is not limited to this, and the first power supply unit 10 may be located inside the vacuum cleaner body 16 or the like.

[0013] The first electric blower 11 is operable by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. The operation of the first electric blower 11 is controlled by the first control means 13, which controls the power supply from the first power supply unit 10.

[0014] The dust separation method of the first dust collection unit 12 may be arbitrary, but in the illustrated example, a cyclone separation type or centrifugal separation type dust collection unit is used, which separates dust from the air by swirling the dust-containing air.

[0015] A microcontroller is preferably used for the first control means 13. The first control means 13 is operable by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. A signal corresponding to the operation of the user's operation switch 15 is input to the first control means 13.

[0016] The gripping portion 14 is integrally formed with the vacuum cleaner body 16. However, depending on the configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the gripping portion 14 may be integrally formed with the pipe body 18.

[0017] The vacuum cleaner body 16 is formed in an elongated shape. The vacuum cleaner body 16 houses a first control means 13, a first electric blower 11, and a first dust collection unit 12. For example, the first electric blower 11 and the first dust collection unit 12 are arranged coaxially or substantially coaxially in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 16. The vacuum cleaner body 16 has a main suction port 160 that communicates with the suction side of the first electric blower 11 via the first dust collection unit 12, and a main exhaust port 161 for exhaust that communicates with the exhaust side of the first electric blower 11. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 16 also has a dust discharge port 162 that communicates with the first dust collection unit 12. The dust discharge port 162 is a part that discharges dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 in order to transfer it to the stand 2 side. The dust discharge port 162 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing means 163 such as an opening / closing valve. It is closed when the vacuum cleaner 1 is used to collect dust in the first dust collection section 12, and opened when the dust collected in the first dust collection section 12 is transferred from the first dust collection section 12 to the stand 2. The opening and closing of the opening / closing means 163 may be controlled electrically or mechanically depending on whether the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the vacuuming device 1. The dust discharge port 162 and the opening / closing means 163 may be formed in the first dust collection section 12.

[0018] The suction device 17 is also called a suction port body, floor brush, or suction head. The suction device 17 is elongated horizontally when viewed from the user. The suction device 17 has a suction port 170. The suction port 170 is for sucking dust into the first dust collection unit 12 with the airflow generated by the first electric blower 11. In other words, a cleaning air passage is formed from the suction port 170 to the first dust collection unit 12 for sucking up dust during cleaning. The suction port 170 is located at least at the bottom of the suction device 17.

[0019] Furthermore, a cleaning body 171 is positioned on the suction device 17. The cleaning body 171 removes dust and debris from the floor or other area to be cleaned during cleaning. The cleaning body 171 is located at least below the suction device 17. The cleaning body 171 may be positioned in a location that allows it to suck up the dust and debris removed from the area to be cleaned through the suction port 170, for example, inside the suction port 170, or in a location close to the suction port 170.

[0020] The cleaning body 171 may be static or dynamic, but a rotating cleaning body is preferably used. In other words, it is preferable that the cleaning body 171 is configured to remove dust by rotation. In this case, the cleaning body 171 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and cleaning members are arranged on its outer surface. Furthermore, this cleaning body 171 is electrically driven by a cleaning body electric motor 172. The cleaning body electric motor 172 is located inside the suction tool 17. The cleaning body electric motor 172 is operable by power supplied from the first power supply unit 10. The operation of the cleaning body electric motor 172 is controlled by the power supply from the first power supply unit 10 controlled by the first control means 13. The cleaning body electric motor 172 is used which has lower power consumption or power than the first electric blower 11. The cleaning body electric motor 172 rotates the cleaning body 171 at high speed.

[0021] The operation switch 15 is located on the main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner or on the pipe 18. The operation switch 15 can switch the operation of the first electric blower 11 on and off. In this embodiment, the operation switch 15 can switch the operation of the electric motor 172 for rotating the cleaning body 171 on and / or the operating speed of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body, that is, the rotation speed of the cleaning body 171. When cleaning, it is preferable that the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body is turned on and off in conjunction with the on / off operation of the first electric blower 11 in response to the operation of the operation switch 15, but if the first electric blower 11 is operating, it may be possible to switch the electric motor 172 on and off independently of the first electric blower 11 by the operation switch 15.

[0022] In this embodiment, the pipe 18 is an extension pipe formed in a straight tubular shape. Preferably, the pipe 18 is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body 16 and the suction attachment 17, allowing the electric vacuum cleaner 1 to be used selectively in one of the following states: without the pipe 18 and suction attachment 17; in a handheld state where the suction attachment 17 is directly connected to the main suction port 160 of the vacuum cleaner body 16; or in a stick state where the suction attachment 17 is connected to the pipe 18 and the pipe 18 is connected to the main suction port 160 of the vacuum cleaner body 16. Furthermore, the pipe 18 is not limited to a straight tubular shape; depending on the form of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the pipe 18 may have a flexible part such as a hose.

[0023] Preferably, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes a first mounting detection means 19, which is a mounting detection means for the vacuum cleaner side that detects when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2. In other words, the first mounting detection means 19 is a stand detection means that detects the stand 2 on which the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted. The first mounting detection means 19 may be a contact-type or non-contact-type sensor, or a mechanical switch, etc. The first mounting detection means 19 is located in the vacuum cleaner body 16. The detection result from the first mounting detection means 19 is input to the first control means 13.

[0024] The stand 2 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4 is a dust collection device that transfers dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and is a stationary type that is installed and used on a floor or other installation location. In this embodiment, the stand 2 is described in a manner in which the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted in a stick position, but it may also be mounted in a handheld position with the pipe body 18 mounted separately. In the following description, the vertical direction will be explained based on the stand 2 being installed in a horizontal position. In the front-to-back direction, the side facing the user is considered the front, and the opposite side is considered the rear. Furthermore, the left-to-right direction will be based on the direction in which the stand 2 is viewed from the front. In the figures, the direction of arrow U is the up direction, the direction of arrow D is the down direction, the direction of arrow FR is the front direction, the direction of arrow RR is the rear direction, the direction of arrow L is the left direction, and the direction of arrow R is the right direction.

[0025] Stand 2 is equipped with a second power supply unit 20, which is the stand-side power supply unit, and is driven by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20. In this embodiment, the second power supply unit 20 has a power plug 200 and a power cord 201 for taking power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply, and converts the power supplied from the external power source via the power plug 200 and supplies it to each part.

[0026] Stand 2 is equipped with a second electric blower 21, which is a stand-side electric blower. The suction operation of the second electric blower 21 transfers dust from the first dust collection unit 12, or dust from the first dust collection unit 12 and dust removed from the cleaning body 171, to the second dust collection unit 22, which is a stand-side dust collection unit. The operation of the second electric blower 21 is controlled by a second control means 23.

[0027] The second electric blower 21 is operated by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20. The operation of the second electric blower 21 is controlled by the second control means 23, which controls the power supply from the second power supply unit 20. Preferably, the second electric blower 21 has a higher power consumption or power than the first electric blower 11.

[0028] The dust separation method for the second dust collection unit 22 may be arbitrary, but in the illustrated example, a filter or dust collection bag is used to filter and collect dust from dust-containing air. Preferably, the second dust collection unit 22 has a larger dust accumulation capacity than the first dust collection unit 12.

[0029] A microcontroller is preferably used as the second control means 23. The second control means 23 can be operated by power supplied from the second power supply unit 20.

[0030] The second power supply unit 20, the second electric blower 21, the second dust collection unit 22, and the second control means 23 are located in the stand body 24.

[0031] The stand body 24 has a support column 240. The support column 240 supports the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The support column 240 is formed in a longitudinal shape in the vertical direction. A support portion 2400 is formed at the front of the support column 240 to support the vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the support portion 2400 from above. In addition, a communication air passage 2401 that communicates with the second dust collection section 22 is formed inside the support column 240. Furthermore, a connection port 2402, which serves as the entrance to the communication air passage 2401, is opened at the front of the support column 240. The connection port 2402 is connected to the dust discharge port 162 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The connection port 2402 is located above the support portion 2400.

[0032] The stand body 24 has a base 241. The base 241 is placed on the mounting position and supports the support column 240 relative to the mounting position. The support column 240 protrudes from the upper part of the base 241. The second electric blower 21, the second dust collection unit 22, and the second control means 23 are arranged inside the base 241. The second dust collection unit 22 is detachably attached to the base 241. In the illustrated example, the base 241 is formed to be larger in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions relative to the support column 240. The base 241 has a stand exhaust port 2410 for discharging exhaust air from the second electric blower 21. The stand exhaust port 2410 is located, for example, on the side of the base 241. A power cord 201 is led out from the base 241, and a power plug 200 is connected to the end of the power cord 201.

[0033] Furthermore, the stand body 24 has an opposing portion 242. The opposing portion 242 protrudes forward from the lower part of the base portion 241. The opposing portion 242 is positioned to face the suction nozzle 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2 in the vertical direction. The opposing portion 242 may be a mounting portion that contacts the lower part of the suction nozzle 17, or it may not contact the lower part of the suction nozzle 17. In this embodiment, the upper part of the opposing portion 242 is an opposing surface 2420 that faces the cleaning body 171. The opposing surface 2420 is an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the front.

[0034] Furthermore, the stand 2 is equipped with a cleaning means 25. The cleaning means 25 removes dust and debris adhering to the cleaning body 171 of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The cleaning means 25 is positioned on the opposing portion 240 of the stand body 24 and opposite the lower part of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. In the illustrated example, the cleaning means 25 is positioned on the upper part of the opposing portion 242 and on the opposing surface 2420. The cleaning means 25 is also positioned longitudinally in the left-right direction so as to coincide with or substantially coincide with the longitudinal direction of the cleaning body 171.

[0035] The cleaning means 25 is capable of making close or slight contact with the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. The cleaning means 25 can have any configuration as long as it can remove dust and debris that has become entangled with the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. For example, if the cleaning body 171 is dynamic, the cleaning means 25 may be static, such as a comb, but the cleaning means 25 is preferably dynamic. In this embodiment, an example of an electrically powered cleaning means 25 is given, which includes a cutter 250, which is a blade for cutting dust and an electric motor 251 for the cutter that drives the cutter 250. The electric motor 251 for the cutter is powered by a second power supply unit 20. The cutter 250 cuts dust by being moved back and forth in small increments from side to side by the electric motor 251 for the cutter. The electric motor 251 for the cutter is one that consumes less power or has less power than the second electric blower 21. The operation of the electric motor 251 for the cutter is controlled by, for example, the second control means 23.

[0036] Preferably, the stand 2 includes a second mounting detection means 26, which is a stand-side mounting detection means for detecting when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2. In other words, the second mounting detection means 26 is a vacuum cleaner detection means for detecting when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2. The second mounting detection means 26 may be a contact-type or non-contact-type sensor, or a mechanical switch, etc. The second mounting detection means 26 is located on the stand body 24. In the illustrated example, the mounting detection means 26 is located on the support column 240. The detection result from the second mounting detection means 26 is input to the second control means 23.

[0037] Furthermore, the stand 2 may be equipped with a function for charging the first power supply unit 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1. For example, the stand 2 may be configured to supply charging power from the second power supply unit 20 to charge the first power supply unit 10. The charging circuit for the first power supply unit 10 may be located in the vacuum cleaner 1 or in the stand 2. The charging circuit is configured to charge the first power supply unit 10 at least when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2, that is, when the mounting detection means detects that the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2.

[0038] Next, the operation of one embodiment will be described.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the stand 2 is installed in a location that does not obstruct the room, and the power plug 200 is connected to a wall outlet C, so that it is powered from an external power source.

[0040] When cleaning, the user removes the vacuum cleaner 1 from the stand 2. For example, when the user removes the vacuum cleaner 1 from the stand 2 by grasping the grip 14, the opening / closing mechanism 163 shown in Figure 1 closes the dust outlet 162. Then, when the user sets the operation of the first electric blower 11 by operating the operation switch 15, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the first power supply unit 10 to the first electric blower 11 according to the setting, and operates the first electric blower 11. Also, in the case of using the suction attachment 17 as shown in Figure 3, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the first power supply unit 10 to the electric motor for the cleaning body 172, and rotates the cleaning body 171. The user places the suction tool 17 on the area to be cleaned and moves the entire vacuum cleaner 1 back and forth using the gripping part 14, while the rotation of the cleaning body 171 scrapes out dust from the area to be cleaned. At the same time, the airflow generated by the operation of the first electric blower 11 sucks the dust along with the air through the suction port 170 of the suction tool 17 into the cleaning air passage.

[0041] The inhaled dust-laden air is introduced from the main unit's intake port 160 to the first dust collection unit 12, where the dust is separated from the air and collected. The air from which the dust has been separated is then discharged from the main unit's exhaust port 161 to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body 16 while cooling the first electric blower 11.

[0042] When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 1 is complete, the user stops the first electric blower 11 and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 by operating the operation switch 15, and mounts the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. For example, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted to the stand 2 by placing the vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 on the support portion 2400 of the support column 240 of the stand 2 from the front and above. In this mounted state, the lower part of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is positioned above or on the surface of the opposing surface 2420 of the opposing portion 242 of the stand 2, and the cleaning means 25 such as the cutter 250 (shown in Figure 2) approaches or contacts the cleaning body 171.

[0043] Further, due to this attachment, the opening / closing means 163 of the vacuum cleaner 1 opens the dust discharge port 162, so that the dust discharge port 162 is airtightly connected to the connection port 2402 of the stand 2, and the first dust collection unit 12 communicates with the second dust collection unit 22 via the communication air passage 2401. Therefore, the suction port 170 of the suction tool 17 also communicates with the second dust collection unit 22 via the cleaning air passage, the first dust collection unit 12, and the communication air passage 2401.

[0044] In the vacuum cleaner 1, based on the detection result of the first attachment detection means 19 shown in FIG. 2, the first control means 13 operates the cleaning body motor 172 to rotate the cleaning body 171 at a high speed, for example, at a predetermined speed.

[0045] In the stand 2, based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26, the second control means 23 operates the second electric blower 21. Further, in the present embodiment, based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26, the second control means 23 operates the cutter motor 251 to drive the cutter 250.

[0046] Here, "based on the detection result of the attachment detection means" means that at least one of the conditions is that the attachment detection means has detected the attachment. That is, in addition to the attachment being detected by the attachment detection means, one or more additional conditions may be added, or such additional conditions may not be present. For example, possible additional conditions include that a predetermined time has elapsed since the attachment was detected by the attachment detection means, that the opening / closing means 163 has opened and the first dust collection unit 12 and the second dust collection unit 22 are in communication, that a predetermined operation such as the user operating a predetermined switch has been performed, or that the operation start time set by the user or the like has arrived, etc., which may be arbitrarily set, and further, conditions combining any one or more of these conditions may also be used.

[0047] The timing of starting the operation of the cleaning body motor 172 or the cleaning body 171 and the timing of starting the operation of the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 may be the same or different. Preferably, the timing of starting the operation of the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 is after the timing of starting the operation of the cleaning body motor 172 or the cleaning body 171. Hereinafter, "after" shall mean "simultaneously or later". Also, the cleaning body motor 172 or the cleaning body 171 and the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 are preferably controlled so that there is a period during which they operate at least simultaneously. In that case, as the cutter 250 is driven while the cleaning body 171 rotates at high speed, dust lifted from the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171 by the centrifugal force of the rotation of the cleaning body 171 is cut by the cutter 250 across the entire cleaning body 171. Further, since the cleaning member flexes in the rotational direction due to rotation, the cutter 250 does not come into direct contact with the cleaning member or the cleaning body 171, preventing damage to the cleaning member or the cleaning body 171 by the cutter 250.

[0048] The timing of stopping the cleaning body motor 172 or the cleaning body 171 and the timing of stopping the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250 may be the same or different. The first control means 13 may, for example, operate the cleaning body motor 172 for a preset time, or when the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, operate it until a predetermined voltage is reached according to its remaining amount or voltage, or operate it until a timing having a predetermined relationship with the timing of stopping the cutter motor 251 or the second electric blower 21. Also, the second control means 23 may, for example, operate the cutter motor 251 for a preset time, or operate it until a timing having a predetermined relationship with the timing of stopping the cleaning body motor 172 or the second electric blower 21. Preferably, the timing of stopping the cleaning body motor 172 or the cleaning body 171 is after the timing of stopping the cutter motor 251 or the cutter 250.

[0049] Dust cut by the cleaning means 25 is carried by the airflow generated by the operation of the second electric blower 21 through the intake port 170 from the cleaning air passage to the first dust collection unit 12, and together with the dust in the first dust collection unit 12, is transferred from the connecting air passage 2401 to the second dust collection unit 22 and collected in the second dust collection unit 22. The timing of the start of operation of the second electric blower 21 is preferably after the start of operation of at least one of the electric motors for the cleaning body 172 or cleaning body 171 and the electric motor for the cutter 251 or cutter 250. Furthermore, the operating period of the second electric blower 21 may or may not overlap with the operating period of at least one of the electric motors for the cleaning body 172 or cleaning body 171 and the electric motor for the cutter 251 or cutter 250. In other words, the timing of the start of operation of the second electric blower 21 may be before, simultaneously with, or after the stopping of operation of at least one of the electric motors for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171 and the electric motor for the cutter 251 or the cutter 250. Furthermore, it is preferable that the stopping of the second electric blower 21 be at least after the stopping of the electric motor for the cutter 251 or the cutter 250.

[0050] The second control means 23 may, for example, operate the second electric blower 21 for a preset time, or it may operate the second electric blower 21 until predetermined conditions related to dust transport are met, such as detecting that a predetermined amount of dust has been transported inside the first dust collection unit 12. The operating time of the second electric blower 21 may be a fixed time or a time arbitrarily set by the user. For example, it is also possible to perform a process such as forcibly stopping the operation of the second electric blower 21 when the user performs a predetermined operation such as operating a switch.

[0051] The second dust collection unit 22, to which the dust has been transported, can be removed from the stand 2 as needed, and the dust collected inside, or the dust collection bag used as the second dust collection unit 22, can be disposed of.

[0052] As described above, in one embodiment, the cleaning means 25 of the stand 2 removes dust from the cleaning body 171 of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2, and by operating the second electric blower 21 of the stand 2, the dust is collected in the second dust collection unit 22 of the stand 2 along with the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, when the user mounts the vacuum cleaner 1 on the stand 2, the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 and the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction attachment 17 can be transferred to the second dust collection unit 22 basically automatically without requiring much effort. Consequently, the user does not need to dispose of dust on the vacuum cleaner 1 side or clean the cleaning body 171 as often, making maintenance of the vacuum cleaner 1 easier. Furthermore, since there is no need to accumulate the dust removed from the suction device 17 in the first dust collection unit 12, and the dust is transferred from the first dust collection unit 12 each time the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2 after cleaning is finished, there is no need to accumulate a large amount of dust in the first dust collection unit 12, making it possible to miniaturize and lighten the first dust collection unit 12, and thus making the vacuum cleaner 1 small and lightweight.

[0053] In particular, by making the dust collection capacity of the second dust collection unit 22 larger than that of the first dust collection unit 12, the number of times the user has to dispose of the collected dust can be reduced. Also, since there is no need to increase the dust collection capacity of the first dust collection unit 12, it is possible to prevent the vacuum cleaner 1 from becoming larger and heavier due to the enlargement of the first dust collection unit 12.

[0054] Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and put into use, it can be used from a state where there is basically no dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 12, so that cleaning can be done while ensuring good suction power from the first electric blower 11.

[0055] Furthermore, when transferring the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 to the second dust collection unit 22, it passes through the normal cleaning air passage from the suction port 170 to the first dust collection unit 12, which is used for cleaning with the electric vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, there is no need to separately form a dedicated transfer air passage, resulting in a simple configuration.

[0056] Furthermore, since the second power supply unit 20 draws power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply, it is possible to operate the second electric blower 21, which has more power than when using limited power such as a battery, regardless of the remaining charge of the first power supply unit 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and can efficiently suck up dust to the second dust collection unit 22.

[0057] Furthermore, by operating the second electric blower 21 based on the detection result of the second mounting detection means 26, which detects the mounting of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the operation to remove dust from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 will not start unless the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted to the stand 2. Therefore, the second electric blower 21 can only be operated when the second dust collection unit 22 and the first dust collection unit 13 are connected via the communication air passage 2401, and dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 can be reliably transferred to the second dust collection unit 22.

[0058] For example, by configuring the cleaning means 25 to use a cutter motor 251 to operate a cutter 250 that cuts dust attached to the cleaning body 171, thread-like debris such as hair and fibers entangled in the cleaning body 171 can be cut by the operation of the cutter 250 and efficiently removed.

[0059] Furthermore, by operating the electric motor 251 for the cutter based on the detection result of the second mounting detection means 26, which detects the mounting of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the operation of the cutter 250 of the cleaning means 25 will not start unless the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted to the stand 2, thus preventing the cutter 250 from operating at an unintended time.

[0060] In this embodiment, since the cleaning body 171 is a rotating cleaning body that is driven to rotate by a motor for the cleaning body 172, the rotation of the cleaning body 171 makes it possible to efficiently clean dust from the area to be cleaned. Furthermore, for example, when removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning means 25, rotating the cleaning body 171 with the motor for the cleaning body 172 allows the cleaning means 25 to remove dust evenly and efficiently from the cleaning body 171.

[0061] Furthermore, when removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171, the first electric blower 11 is not operated, and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172, which has lower power consumption or power compared to the first electric blower 11, is operated instead. For example, if the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, it can be driven even if the remaining charge is not high, and because the consumption of the capacity of the first power supply unit 10 is low, the decrease in the remaining charge of the first power supply unit 10 can be suppressed, and it is possible to operate it for a relatively long time.

[0062] Furthermore, by operating the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body based on the detection result of the first mounting detection means 19 which detects the mounting of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the cleaning body 171 can be rotated at least while the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2, allowing the cleaning means 25 to remove dust and debris attached to the cleaning body 171.

[0063] Furthermore, by combining a configuration in which the cleaning means 25 operates a cutter 250 that cuts dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 using a cutter motor 251, and a configuration in which the cleaning body 171 is a rotating cleaning body that is rotationally driven by a cleaning body motor 172, the dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 can be removed by operating each of these when removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171, thereby cutting the dust with the cutter 250 while rotating the cleaning body 171, and removing dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 more efficiently.

[0064] Furthermore, by operating the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 and the electric motor for the cutter 251 based on the detection results from the mounting detection means 19 and 26 that detect the mounting of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the dust can be efficiently removed by rotating the cleaning body 171 with the cutter 250 while the dust is being cut, at least with the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2.

[0065] Furthermore, by setting the start of operation of the cutter 250 by the cutter motor 251 to coincide with the start of rotation of the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning body motor 172, the dust is cut by the cutter 250 while the cleaning body 171 is rotating, thus preventing the cut dust from being concentrated on a part of the cleaning body 171.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the operation of the first electric blower 11 and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 is controlled by the first control means 13, but the control means for controlling these may be set up separately.

[0067] Similarly, although the operation of the second electric blower 21 and the cutter motor 251 is controlled by the second control means 23, the control means for controlling these functions may be set up separately.

[0068] Furthermore, if either the cleaning body 171 or the cleaning means 25 is dynamic, the other may be static. In other words, it is not necessary for both the cleaning body 171 and the cleaning means 25 to be electrically powered. For example, if the cleaning body 171 is static, the cleaning means 25 will not consume power from the first power supply unit 10 when removing dust. Therefore, if the first power supply unit 10 is a secondary battery, it becomes possible to perform dust removal by the cleaning means 25 at the same time as charging the first power supply unit 10.

[0069] Furthermore, although we have described an example in which the mounting detection means for detecting that the vacuum cleaner 1 has been mounted on the stand 2 and operating the second electric blower 21 and the mounting detection means for operating the cutter 250 are the same, these mounting detection means may be different from each other.

[0070] Furthermore, although an example was shown in which mounting detection means are provided on both the vacuum cleaner 1 and the stand 2, the mounting detection means only needs to be on at least one of the vacuum cleaner 1 or the stand 2.

[0071] Furthermore, the cleaning means 25 is not limited to one equipped with a cutter 250 for cutting dust, but may have any configuration such as one that hooks and removes dust, or one that adsorbs or blows it away.

[0072] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents.

Claims

1. The system comprises an electric vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the electric vacuum cleaner is mounted, wherein the electric vacuum cleaner has a suction tool having a cleaning body and a suction port, a first electric blower that generates an airflow to be sucked in from the suction port, and a first dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the first electric blower, the stand has a support column that supports the electric vacuum cleaner, a base that supports the support column relative to the installation position, an opposing portion that faces the suction tool of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, cleaning means arranged on the opposing portion to remove dust adhering to the cleaning body of the suction tool of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, a second electric blower that generates an airflow to suck in the dust collected in the first dust collection unit of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, and a second dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the second electric blower, An electric cleaning system characterized in that the dust removed from the cleaning body by the cleaning means is collected in the second dust collection unit via the first dust collection unit by operating the second electric blower.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, comprising mounting detection means disposed on at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand for detecting the mounting of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stand, and operating the second electric blower based on the detection result by the mounting detection means.

3. The electric cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning means comprises a cutter for cutting dust adhering to the cleaning body, and an electric motor for the cutter for operating the cutter.

4. The electric cleaning system according to claim 3, comprising mounting detection means disposed on at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand for detecting the mounting of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stand, and operating the electric motor for the cutter based on the detection result by the mounting detection means.

5. The electric cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning body is a rotating cleaning body, and the suction device is equipped with an electric motor for the cleaning body that rotates the cleaning body.

6. The electric cleaning system according to claim 5, comprising mounting detection means disposed on at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand for detecting the mounting of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stand, and operating the electric motor for the cleaning body based on the detection result by the mounting detection means.

7. The electric cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning means comprises a cutter for cutting dust adhering to the cleaning body and an electric motor for the cutter for operating the cutter, the cleaning body is a rotating cleaning body, and the suction device comprises an electric motor for the cleaning body for rotating the cleaning body.

8. The electric cleaning system according to claim 7, comprising mounting detection means disposed on at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand for detecting the mounting of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stand, and operating the electric motor for the cleaning body and the electric motor for the cutter based on the detection result by the mounting detection means.

9. The electric cleaning system according to claim 8, characterized in that the start of operation of the cutter by the electric motor for the cutter occurs after the start of rotation of the cleaning body by the electric motor for the cleaning body.

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