JP2003235772A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make cleaning work efficient, and lessen burden on a user by making the working posture of the user easy in a vacuum cleaner. <P>SOLUTION: Three engagement claws 24 are provided at nearly equal intervals on the peripheral face 23 of a battery pack 20. A battery storage chamber 12e in which a notch 12f engaging with the engagement claws 24 and engagement grooves 12g extending along the rotation in the engagement direction C of the battery pack 20 from the notches 12f are formed is formed on the peripheral face of an upper case 12a in which the battery pack 20 is to be mounted and the battery pack 20 is removed upward from the battery storage chamber 12e. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner,
More particularly, it relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners with rechargeable batteries.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an electric vacuum cleaner, for example, FIG.
Those shown in are known. The electric vacuum cleaner 10 includes a cleaner main body 11 and a dust collecting hose 18 connected thereto, and is mainly used for business purposes.

The vacuum cleaner body 11 is provided with a case 12 whose outer surface is formed by combining substantially cylindrical peripheral surfaces. The case 12 is divided into an upper case 12a and a lower case 12b.

The upper case 12a is locked to the lower case 12b by a clamp 13. When the locking by the clamp 13 is released, the upper case 12a can be removed from the lower case 12b.

A handle 12c for holding the cleaner body 11 when moving the cleaner body 11 is attached to the upper surface of the case 12a, and the cleaner body 11 is moved to the floor surface by a light pulling force on the bottom surface of the lower case 12b. The caster 14 for the is attached.

A power cord 19 for supplying electric power for driving an electric blower 15a, which will be described later, from a commercial power source 30 extends from the cleaner body 11.
A plug 19a connected to the outlet 31 of the commercial power supply 30 is provided at the outer end of the plug.

Here, a fan chamber 15 having an electric blower 15a is formed inside the upper case 12a, and the electric blower 15a provided in the fan chamber 15 is provided with the above-mentioned control circuit via a control circuit (not shown). The inner end of the power cord 19 is connected.

The electric blower 15a is driven by the electric power supplied from the commercial power source 30 via the power cord 19. The drive of the electric blower 15a is turned on.
/ Driving OFF is switched by a hand switch (not shown) provided in a part of the dust collecting hose 18.

On the other hand, inside the lower case 12b, the hose 18 for collecting dust is generated by the negative suction pressure of the electric blower 15a.
Dust collection chamber 1 that collects the dust sucked in with the air
6 is formed.

A filter 17 is sandwiched between the dust collection chamber 16 and the fan chamber 15, and the filter 17 is sucked into the fan chamber 15 by the electric blower 15a. The dust inside 16 is prevented from entering the fan chamber 15 together with the air.

[0011]

As described above, the conventional vacuum cleaner obtains electric power from the commercial power source through the power cord, but since the length of this power cord is finite, it is installed in an outlet. The cleaning work can be done at one time only within the range of the length of the power cord from the place.

When further cleaning a range exceeding this range, the user once returns to the place of installation of the outlet to which the power cord is connected, unplugs the power cord from the outlet, and opens the next cleaning range. Hold the plug and move it to the outlet that is installed in the appropriate position to cover, insert the plug into the outlet that is installed in the appropriate position, and then return to the vacuum cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner to resume cleaning. There is a need.

As described above, in the conventional electric vacuum cleaner, the cleaning work must be interrupted each time the plug is inserted or removed, and it is difficult to improve the efficiency of the cleaning work.

Further, the conventional electric vacuum cleaner is provided with a battery accommodating chamber which is opened at the bottom surface of the cleaner main body, accommodates the battery in the battery accommodating chamber, and supplies electric power from the battery to the electric blower. There is a device having a built-in device (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-353114).

In the electric vacuum cleaner having the built-in rechargeable battery, the electric blower is driven by the electric power supplied from the built-in battery during use, so that it is not necessary to use the power cord, and therefore the above-mentioned power source is used. Problems with cord-based vacuum cleaners are eliminated.

However, in the electric vacuum cleaner having the rechargeable battery built-in, when replacing the battery, it is necessary to turn over the vacuum cleaner main body and remove the bottom cover, which is not easy to attach and detach.

Further, the work posture when the battery is replaced is not easy and the workability is not good.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and makes the cleaning work efficient and facilitates the battery replacement work, and moreover, the working posture of the user at the time of the battery replacement. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can reduce the burden on the user as a comfort.

[0019]

In order to solve the above problems, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention is provided with a dust collecting chamber and an electric blower for sucking a negative pressure in the dust collecting chamber and provided in the cleaner body. At the same time, in a vacuum cleaner in which a battery storage chamber is provided in the cleaner body, and a battery for supplying drive power to the electric blower is disposed in the battery storage chamber, the battery storage chamber is provided in the cleaner body. The battery is characterized in that the battery is opened upward on the upper surface, and the battery is detachably inserted into the battery storage chamber from above.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Specific embodiments of an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a perspective view of FIG. 1 shows an outline of an embodiment of the electric cleaner of the present invention. This electric vacuum cleaner 10
The dust collecting hose 18 is connected to the cleaner body 11.

The main body 11 of the vacuum cleaner is provided with a case 12 whose outer surface is a combination of substantially cylindrical peripheral surfaces. The case 12 includes an upper case 12a and a lower case 12.
It is divided into b and.

The upper case 12a is locked to the lower case 12b by the clamp 13. When the locking by the clamp 13 is released, the upper case 12a can be removed from the lower case 12b.

A fan chamber 15 having an electric blower 15a is formed inside the upper case 12a, and a detachable battery pack (battery) for supplying driving power to the electric blower 15a is formed on the upper surface of the upper case 12a. ) 20 is attached.

The electric blower 15a is driven by the electric power supplied from the battery pack 20.
The drive on / off of the electric blower 15a is switched by a hand switch (not shown) provided in a part of the dust collecting hose 18.

On the other hand, inside the lower case 12b, a dust collecting chamber 16 for collecting the dust sucked together with air from the dust collecting hose 18 by the suction negative pressure of the electric blower 15a.
Are formed.

Further, casters 14 for moving the cleaner body 11 on the floor surface with a light pulling force are mounted on the bottom surface of the lower case 12b.

A filter 17 is sandwiched between the dust collecting chamber 16 and the fan chamber 15. The filter 17 is sucked into the fan chamber 15 from the dust collecting chamber 16 by an electric blower 15a so that the dust collecting chamber 16 is sucked into the dust collecting chamber 16. Of the dust is prevented from entering the fan chamber 15 together with the air.

Here, the battery pack 20 and the upper case 1
A detailed attachment / detachment structure to / from 2a will be described with reference to FIG.

The battery pack 20 is formed in a substantially short cylindrical shape with the center of gravity S'as the central axis. A foldable handle 22 is arranged on the upper surface 21 of the battery pack 20. The handle 22 rotates in an arc shape indicated by a chain line and is foldable so as to be stored in a handle storing recess 25 formed in the upper surface 21 and having a shape substantially the same as the shape of the handle 22. ing. When the handle 20 is stored in the handle storing recess 25, the handle 20 is flush with the upper surface 21.

The peripheral surface 23 of the battery pack 20
The three locking claws 24 are provided at substantially equal angular intervals. Further, the bottom surface of the battery pack 20 is provided with contacts 27 (see FIG. 3 described later) which are electrical contacts for charging and discharging the battery pack 20.

On the other hand, in a substantially central portion of the upper surface 12d of the upper case 12a, a battery accommodating chamber 12e is formed which opens upward with the center of gravity S of the cleaner body 11 as a central axis and accommodates the battery pack 20. There is.

The battery storage chamber 12e is formed to have a depth substantially the same as the length of the battery pack 20 in the height direction and slightly larger than the outer diameter of the peripheral surface 23 of the battery pack 20.

The bottom surface 1 of the battery storage chamber 12e
2h also has a contact 12i (Fig. 3) that makes electrical contact with a contact 27 provided on the bottom surface of the battery pack 20.
Is provided, and electric power is supplied from the battery pack 20 to the electric blower 15a through a control circuit (not shown) by the contact between the contacts 27 and 12i.

Here, the battery storage chamber 12e is formed as a substantially cylindrical concave portion having the center of gravity S extending in the vertical direction of the entire cleaner main body 11 at the substantially center in the horizontal plane of the upper case 12a. Has been done.

Further, notches 12f which engage with the three locking claws 24 formed on the peripheral surface 23 of the battery pack 20 to be accommodated are provided on the upper peripheral surface of the battery storage chamber 12e, respectively. Battery pack 2 from each notch 12f
Locking grooves 12g extending along the rotational locking direction C of 0 are respectively formed.

The contact 27 provided on the bottom surface 26 of the battery pack 20 has the bottom surface 2 as shown in FIG.
The first contact 27a is provided at the center of the reference numeral 6, and the second contact 27b is provided near the first contact 27a.

The first contact 27a and the second contact 27a
Each of the contacts 27b is a metal plate having excellent conductivity and slightly protrudes downward from the bottom surface 26, but when pressed upward, it is deformed to the extent of being flush with the bottom surface 26 due to its elasticity.

On the other hand, the battery storage chamber 1 of the upper case 12a
The contact 12i arranged on the bottom surface 12h of 2e is also a metal plate, and as shown in FIG. 7C, a first contact 12j provided at the center of the bottom surface 12h and a circle close to the first contact 12j. The second contact 12k is provided in a ring shape.

Then, with the battery pack 20 housed in the battery storage chamber 12e, the first contact 27a of the battery pack 20 and the first contact 12j of the battery storage chamber 12e come into contact with each other as shown in FIG. , So that the second contact 27b of the battery pack 20 and the second contact 12k of the battery storage chamber 12e come into contact with each other.
These contacts 27, 12i are arranged.

Next, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner of this embodiment will be described.

First, the battery pack 20 is the cleaner body 1
1 is attached to the user, the user has a hand switch (not shown) provided on a part of the dust collecting hose 18.
To switch the drive ON. By this operation,
Electric power is supplied from the charged battery pack 20 to the electric blower 15a via the above-mentioned contact, and the electric blower 15a is driven.

By driving the electric blower 15 a, the electric blower 15 a sucks a negative pressure through the filter 17 and causes the negative pressure to act on the dust collection chamber 16.

As a result, dust is sucked into the dust collecting hose 18 together with air from the tip of the dust collecting hose 18 connected to the dust collecting chamber 16. The dust sucked into the dust collecting hose 18 flows into the dust collecting chamber 16 by the suction negative pressure.

The dust-containing air flowing into the dust collecting chamber 16 is
It flows into the dust collecting chamber 16 and descends into a swirling flow. At this time, the dust falls on the bottom surface of the dust collection chamber 16 due to its own weight while flowing along the inner peripheral surface of the dust collection chamber 16 due to centrifugal force, and is collected in the dust collection chamber 16.

On the other hand, the air flowing into the dust collecting chamber 16 is sucked into the electric blower 15a through the filter 17 by the negative suction pressure of the electric blower 15a.

The air sucked into the electric blower 15a is
After cooling the motor part of the electric blower 15a, the upper case 1
From the exhaust port (not shown) formed in 2a to the cleaner body 1
1 is discharged to the outside.

When the cleaning operation is completed, the user operates a hand switch provided on a part of the dust collecting hose 18 to switch the drive off. By this operation, the power supply from the battery pack 20 to the electric blower 15a is stopped, and the electric blower 15a is stopped.

Next, the attaching / detaching operation of the battery pack 20 will be described.

As described above, the battery pack 20 is detachably attached to the cleaner body 11 for convenience of charging with a dedicated charger and replacement with a new battery.

First, at the time of mounting, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle 22 raised in the vertical direction is gripped by the user, and the three locking claws 24 projectingly provided on the peripheral surface 23 of the battery pack 20, Battery storage chamber 12e of the upper case 12a
The battery pack 20 is positioned so that the positions of the three notches 12f formed in 1 are aligned in the circumferential direction.

Then, by inserting the battery pack 20 into the battery housing chamber 12e from above, each locking claw 24 is inserted into each notch 12f (release position).

In this state, the bottom surface 26 of the battery pack 20 is in contact with the bottom surface 12h of the battery storage chamber 12e, and the contact 27 of the battery pack 20 and the contact 12i of the battery storage chamber 12e are in contact with each other and are electrically connected. Conduct. Then, the upper surface 21 of the battery pack 20
Is substantially flush with the upper surface 12d of the upper case 12a.

Next, the battery pack 20 is rotated in the rotation locking direction C by the user. At this time, the locking claws 24 inserted into the respective cutouts 12f respectively have locking grooves 12 extending from the respective cutouts 12f in the rotation locking direction C.
Then, the battery pack 20 and the upper case 12a are integrally locked (locked position).

At this time, the handle 22 is the upper case 12a.
The handle 22 in the exposed state functions as a handle of the cleaner body 11 to which the battery pack 20 is locked.

That is, the user grips the handle 22 of the battery pack 20 when carrying or pulling the cleaner body 11 to move the cleaner body 11.
It is not necessary to separately provide the handle of the cleaner body 11 in addition to the handle 22 of the battery pack 20 alone, and the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where these two types of handles are provided separately. Can be reduced,
The cost can be reduced.

Further, the handle 22 is the handle storing recess 2
When folded in 5, the handle 2 of the battery pack 20
The entire upper surface 21 including 2 is the upper surface 12 of the upper case 12a.
Since it is flush with d and has no portion protruding from the upper case 12a, the appearance quality can be made good.

The first contact 12j of the battery storage chamber 12e is provided so as to coincide with the rotation center of the battery pack 20, and the second contact 12k is provided in an annular shape centered on this rotation center. Therefore, even in the locking position, the first contact 27a provided on the bottom surface 26 of the battery pack 20 and the first contact 12j provided on the bottom surface 12h of the battery storage chamber 12e are electrically contacted, and the second contact 27b, Similarly, 12k also comes into contact with the electric blower 15a so that electric power can be supplied from the battery pack 20 to the electric blower 15a.

Next, from the cleaner body 11 to the battery pack 2
To remove 0, the handle 22 is raised from the handle storing recess 25 and exposed from the upper surface 12d of the upper cover 12a, and the handle 22 is gripped by the user in the counterclockwise direction (opposite to the rotation direction C). Direction).

By this rotation operation, the battery pack 2
0 is rotated from the locking position to the releasing position, and the locking claws 24 of the battery pack 20 are aligned with the cutouts 12f of the battery storage chamber 12e.

In this state, when the handle 22 of the battery pack 20 is grasped and pulled upward in the vertical direction, the battery pack 20 already disengaged from the upper case 12a can be removed upward from the upper case 12a. I can. As a result, the battery pack 20 alone can be used for charging and maintenance.

Thus, the electric vacuum cleaner 10 according to the present embodiment.
Uses a portable battery pack 20 as electric power to be supplied to the electric blower 15a, and thus has a finite length power cord like a conventional electric vacuum cleaner that supplies electric power using a commercial power source. There is no restriction due to having to connect and use a commercial power source, and cleaning efficiency and operability can be improved.

Further, since the battery pack 20 is detachable and replaceable, even if the battery pack 20 is discharged and the electric blower 15a cannot be driven, it can be replaced with another battery pack 20 that has already been charged. The cleaning work can be continued without waiting for the completion of recharge of the discharged battery pack 20, and the work efficiency can be improved.

Further, the vacuum cleaner 10 of this embodiment is
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the battery storage chamber 12
Since e is provided on the upper surface 12d of the cleaner body 11 and the battery storage chamber 12e is opened upward, the operation for attaching and detaching the battery pack 20 from the cleaner body 11 is not possible. , Can be easily performed on the cleaner body 11 from above.

Therefore, unlike the case where the battery pack 20 is pulled out in the horizontal direction, the user 40 does not need to maintain a bent posture such as a middle waist posture, and the battery pack 2
The attachment / detachment operation of 0 can be performed easily, and the burden on the user 40 can be reduced.

Further, the electric vacuum cleaner 10 according to the present embodiment for attaching and detaching the battery pack 20 in the vertical direction is accompanied by the movement of the battery pack 20 during the attachment and detachment in the vertical direction.
Since the center of gravity of the cleaner main body 11 including the battery pack 20 does not move in the horizontal direction, the stability of the cleaner main body 11 during the attachment / detachment operation is high. Therefore, the battery pack 2
0 has excellent operability.

That is, the battery pack 20 is placed horizontally.
In the electric vacuum cleaner configured to be attached and detached, the center of gravity of the cleaner body 11 including the battery pack 20 moves in the horizontal direction as the battery pack 20 moves during attachment and detachment.

In this case, at the moment when the battery pack 20 is detached from the cleaner body 11 and when the battery pack 20 is mounted on the cleaner body 11, the center of gravity of the cleaner body 11 in the horizontal direction is largely moved, and the cleaner body is moved. Balance of 11 is easy to lose.

Therefore, the user 40 is instructed by the cleaner body 1
While supporting 1 with one hand, the battery pack 20 with the other hand
However, since the electric vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment does not need to pay such attention,
Easy to put on and take off.

Further, the electric vacuum cleaner 10 of this embodiment has a battery storage chamber 12e in which the battery pack 20 is stored.
Is formed as a substantially cylindrical recess having the center of gravity S extending in the vertical direction of the entire cleaner body 11 as a central axis, the center of gravity S ′ of the battery pack 20 and the cleaner body 11 are formed.
And the center of gravity of the cleaner main body 11 including the battery pack 20 with the battery pack 20 attached and the center of gravity of the cleaner main body 11 with the battery pack 20 removed. Match.

Therefore, the stability of the cleaner body 11 during the attachment / detachment operation of the battery pack 20 becomes extremely high, and the attachment / detachment operability of the battery pack 20 can be further improved.

Furthermore, the electric vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment is
Since the battery pack 20 is configured to be housed above the fan chamber 15 and the dust collection chamber 16 and at the uppermost portion of the cleaner body 11, the battery pack 20 is detached when the battery pack 20 is attached or detached. It is not necessary to remove accessory parts other than the above (for example, a dust collection chamber, a filter, etc.), and from this point as well, the operability of attachment / detachment of the battery pack 20 is good.

Moreover, when the battery pack 20 is attached or detached,
Since the stroke for moving the battery pack 20 up and down is short, it is possible to reduce the attachment / detachment work required to move the battery pack 20 up and down.

However, the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention is not limited to this form, and the filter 17 and the dust collecting chamber 16 can be installed more than the battery pack 20 as long as the battery pack can be attached and detached vertically upward. May be disposed above, or the dust collection chamber 16 and the fan chamber 15 may be formed so as to surround the battery pack 20.

The electric vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment uses the battery pack 2 as a locking portion for locking the battery pack 20 and the upper case 12a which is a part of the cleaner body 11.
Although the locking claw 24 formed in 0 and the notch 12f and the locking groove 12g formed in the upper case 12a are applied,
The vacuum cleaner of the present invention is not limited to this form, and for example, a male screw is formed on the peripheral surface 23 of the battery pack 20,
A female screw that is screwed into the male screw may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the battery storage chamber 12e of the upper case 12a, and the male screw and the female screw may form the locking portion.

The battery pack 20 can be locked to the upper case 12a by screwing a male screw into the female screw, and the locking can be released by loosening the screw and unfastening the two. It is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the electric vacuum cleaner of the above-described embodiment.

Further, the locking portion is not limited to the locking structure as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but may be a locking means, and the locking structure and the locking portion such as the locking means are At least one of the battery pack 20 and the cleaner body 11 may be provided.

[0078]

According to the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the battery storage chamber is opened upward on the upper surface of the cleaner main body, and the battery can be attached and detached from above, so that On the other hand, the battery can be easily attached and detached from above.

Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to perform the attachment / detachment operation of the battery while maintaining the bent posture such as the middle waist posture, and the burden on the user can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall outline of an embodiment of an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a detailed attachment / detachment structure of a battery pack and an upper case.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing contacts provided on a bottom surface of a battery pack and a bottom surface of a battery storage chamber of an upper case, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a posture of a user when a battery pack is attached and detached.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an overall outline of an example of a conventional electric vacuum cleaner.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 vacuum cleaner 11 Vacuum cleaner body 12 cases 12a upper case 12b lower case 12c handle 12d upper surface 12e Battery storage room 12f cutout 12g locking groove 12h bottom 12i contact 13 clamps 14 casters 15 fan room 15a electric blower 16 Dust collection chamber 17 Filter 18 Dust collection hose 19 power cord 20 battery pack 21 upper surface 22 handle 23 circumference 24 Locking claw 25 Handle storage recess 26 Bottom 27 contacts 30 Commercial power supply 31 outlet 40 users

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A dust collecting chamber and an electric blower for sucking negative pressure in the dust collecting chamber are provided in a cleaner body, and a battery storage chamber is provided in the cleaner body, and the electric blower is provided in the cleaner body. In an electric vacuum cleaner in which a battery for supplying driving power is arranged in the battery storage chamber, the battery storage chamber is opened upward on an upper surface of the cleaner body, and the battery is stored in the battery storage chamber. An electric vacuum cleaner characterized in that it is detachably inserted from above and attached to the. 2. The battery storage chamber has an opening at the center of the upper surface of the cleaner body.
Vacuum cleaner as described in. 3. The battery is detachably fixed to the battery storage chamber, and a handle is attached to an upper end portion of the battery.
Or the electric vacuum cleaner described in 2.