JP2004113533A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid a harmful effect which the presence of a grounding support part affects on a sucking performance, while a prescribed dust sucking power is exhibited by keeping constant gap between a sucking port disposed in a sucking port body and a surface to be cleaned. <P>SOLUTION: The sucking port body 70 is equipped with a first sucking port 81 and a second sucking port 82. A pocket 251 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the first sucking port 81 and the second sucking port 82, and a roller 250 is arranged in its inside. A ventilating trench 253 is disposed in the front side of the roller 250. The ventilating trench 253 is disposed in nearly parallel to the axial line of the roller 250 and over the whole front projecting region of the roller 250. One end of the ventilating trench 253 is communicated to the second sucking port 82, and the other end communicates with the outer part of the sucking port body 70. An air stream flowing into the second sucking port 82 from the outer part of the sucking port body 70 through the ventilating trench 253 is generated when dust sucking is performed using the second sucking port 82, and by this the dust is sucked into the second sucking port 82. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a configuration of a suction port of a vacuum cleaner.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a vacuum cleaner, dust is sucked in from a suction port of a suction port together with airflow generated by operation of an electric blower, and the sucked airflow is introduced into a dust collector to collect dust. For homes using carpets, there are many vacuum cleaners provided with an agitator at a suction port for scraping dust from the carpet (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-164095
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0004]
The vacuum cleaner exhibits a predetermined dust-absorbing power when a gap between the surface to be cleaned (floor surface) and the suction port is maintained at an appropriate value. In an electric vacuum cleaner having an agitator such as that described in Patent Document 1, an agitator pressed against a surface to be cleaned with a predetermined pressure acts to keep a gap between the surface to be cleaned and the suction port constant. . However, at times, the force of the suction port trying to suck on the surface to be cleaned may be larger than the force of the agitator supporting the suction port body. When the suction port sticks to the surface to be cleaned, the suction force is rapidly reduced, and the dust is not absorbed.
[0005]
The agitator is provided variably in height with respect to the suction port body, and it is inherently impossible to expect the agitator to function to keep the gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned constant. For this reason, a ground support portion including a roller, a protrusion, and the like is provided on the bottom surface of the suction port body. However, such a grounding support part itself impedes ventilation and lowers suction performance. Also, when the grounding support rides on solid dust (sand, solidified powder, etc.), the gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned is widened, the flow velocity of air passing through the gap decreases, and the suction performance is reduced. There were also problems.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and a grounding support portion keeps a gap between an inlet and a surface to be cleaned constant, and a predetermined dust-absorbing force is exerted. It is an object of the present invention to avoid adverse effects on the suction performance due to the presence of the support.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the vacuum cleaner is configured as follows.
[0008]
(1) In a vacuum cleaner for sucking dust together with airflow generated by operation of an electric blower from a suction port of a suction port body and introducing the sucked airflow to a dust collection device to collect dust, the suction port and / or A ground support portion is provided near the ground support portion, and at least a part of the periphery of the ground support portion is provided with a ventilation groove communicating with the suction port.
[0009]
According to this configuration, the gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned is kept constant by the grounding support portion, and a predetermined dust absorbing force is always exerted. In addition, since dust on the surface to be cleaned can be sucked from the ventilation groove provided around the grounding support portion, a range in which the suction port can exert a suction force is increased, and suction performance is improved.
[0010]
(2) In the above vacuum cleaner, the suction port body is provided with a plurality of suction ports, and the ventilation groove communicates with at least one of the suction ports.
[0011]
According to this configuration, the suction mode is enlarged by the plurality of suction ports, and the gap between the suction ports and the surface to be cleaned is kept constant by the grounding support portion, so that the predetermined dust-absorbing performance is guaranteed. Dust on the surface to be cleaned can be sucked from the ventilation groove provided around the grounding support portion, and the suction performance is further improved.
[0012]
(3) In the vacuum cleaner as described above, the plurality of suction ports are switched and used by a suction port switching device.
[0013]
According to this configuration, an optimum suction port can be selected and used from a plurality of suction ports according to the situation at the place, and cleaning efficiency can be improved. Assuming that the ventilation groove communicates with any of the suction ports, air flows into the ventilation groove regardless of which suction port is selected, and the dust on the surface to be cleaned can be sucked from there. improves.
[0014]
(4) In the above-described electric vacuum cleaner, the ground support portion is disposed at the center of the suction opening.
[0015]
According to this configuration, the suction port having a sufficient opening area can be developed on the left and right sides of the ground support portion, and a uniform suction force can be exerted over a wide range including the region of the ground support portion having the ventilation groove, and the suction performance can be improved. Is improved. Therefore, even if the ground support portion is provided, it hardly affects the suction performance. Further, since both ends of the ventilation groove can be communicated with the suction port, the ventilation efficiency of the ventilation groove is further improved.
[0016]
(5) In the above vacuum cleaner, at least a part of the ventilation groove is located in front of the ground support.
[0017]
According to this configuration, even if solid dust is present on the traveling line of the ground support, the dust is sucked into the suction port from the ventilation groove before the ground support rises. Therefore, the gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned is always kept constant, and a predetermined dust absorbing force is guaranteed.
[0018]
(6) In the vacuum cleaner as described above, the grounding support portion is formed by a cylindrical roller having the left-right direction of the suction opening body as the axial direction, and the ventilation groove is substantially in the axial direction of the roller. It was provided in parallel and over the entire forward projection area of the roller.
[0019]
According to this configuration, the suction port can be moved lightly by the rollers. Dust that may be on the line of travel of the roller and hinder the rotation of the roller is sucked into the suction port from the ventilation groove, so that the surface to be cleaned is cleaned with a predetermined dust-absorbing force while maintaining the light rotation of the roller. It can be performed.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An example of the structure of a vacuum cleaner to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner, FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view of the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged sectional view of the suction port body in a state different from that of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the suction port switching apparatus, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the suction port switching apparatus, 8 is a perspective view of the internal mechanism of the suction port body, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a part of the internal mechanism of the suction port body, viewed from a different direction from FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is the same as FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where the vacuum cleaner is placed in a different position.
[0021]
In the present specification, when describing the structure of the vacuum cleaner 1, the side on which the user stands in a form in which the vacuum cleaner 1 is placed in front and the user stands and operates the vacuum cleaner 1 thereafter. The rear side of the vacuum cleaner 1 and the opposite side are defined as the front side (front side) of the vacuum cleaner 1. Regarding left and right, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is viewed from the front (front), the left side of the observer is defined as the left side of the vacuum cleaner 1 and the opposite side is defined as the right side of the vacuum cleaner 1.
[0022]
The vacuum cleaner 1 is of an upright type and is roughly divided into two parts. One is the cleaner main body 10 and the other is the suction opening body 70. The shell (for example, made of a synthetic resin molded product) that forms the suction port body 70 has the following structure. First, there is a flat box-shaped central shell 71 at the center, and side shells 72 and 73 are provided on the left and right sides. The rear portions of the side shells 72, 73 project rearward from the central shell 71 to form rear projections 74, 75. The suction port body 70 has a U-shaped planar shape as a whole, and receives the cleaner body 10 between the rear protruding portions 74 and 75.
[0023]
The cleaner body 10 is formed from two shell parts. One of them is a cylindrical blower shell 11, and the other is a dust collector holding portion 12 protruding from the blower shell 11. An electric blower 13 is disposed inside the blower shell 11 (see FIG. 2). The axis of the electric blower 13 is substantially parallel to the axis of the blower shell 11 and both are substantially horizontal.
[0024]
The blower shell 11 is disposed between the rear protruding portions 74 and 75 of the suction opening body 70 with the axis substantially in a horizontal state, and a support shaft disposed on the axis is fitted to the rear protruding portions 74 and 75. On the side of the rear protruding portion 74, the support shaft 14 protruding from the end surface of the blower shell 11 is supported by a bearing portion 76 provided on the rear protruding portion 74. On the side of the rear protrusion 75, the drive shaft 15, which is an extension of the motor shaft of the electric blower 13, enters the rear protrusion 75. A cylindrical support shaft (not shown) surrounding the drive shaft 15 is projected from the end surface of the blower shell 11, and the cylindrical support shaft is supported by a bearing portion 77 provided on a rear projecting portion 75. The blower shell 11 is connected to the suction port body 70 by these left and right support shafts so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis.
[0025]
The dust collector holding part 12 is hollow and elongated as a whole, that is, has a longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the blower shell 11. The projecting position of the dust collecting device holding portion 12 is not the center of the blower shell 11, but the dust collecting device holding portion 12 projects from the left side portion of the blower shell 11 in the illustrated structure example.
[0026]
On one side of the dust collecting device holding portion 12, a pedestal portion 16 and an overhang portion 17 for supporting a bottom portion and a top portion of the dust collecting device described later are provided. The pedestal portion 16 is provided so as to rise from the blower shell 11, and the overhang portion 17 is formed on a side surface of the dust collecting device holding portion 12. The pedestal portion 16 and the overhang portion 17 occupy a position above the blower shell 11 and in the space on the right side of the dust collector holding portion 12. A rear support wall 18 is provided between the pedestal portion 16 and the overhang portion 17 to support a left half of a dust collector described later from behind (see FIG. 3). The rear support wall 18 is formed on a side surface of the dust collector holding unit 12.
[0027]
The dust collector holding unit 12 holds the dust collector 20. The dust collecting device 20 collects dust by a cyclone method by rotating an air current at a high speed in an elongated cylindrical dust cup 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the dust cup 21 is divided into two upper and lower chambers by a horizontal partition wall 22. The lower section is a centrifuge chamber 23, and the upper section is an exhaust chamber 24.
[0028]
An inlet 25 is provided on one side of the centrifugal separation chamber 23. The inflow port 25 is set at a position and an angle such that a swirling airflow is generated along the inner peripheral wall of the centrifugal separation chamber 23.
[0029]
An exhaust pipe 26 is arranged at the center of the centrifugal separation chamber 23. The exhaust pipe 26 is a cylindrical basket-shaped member having a closed lower surface and an open upper surface. The upper opening is joined to a vent 27 formed at the center of the horizontal partition 22, and the exhaust pipe 26 hangs down from the horizontal partition 22. Supported in shape. A filter 28 of a fine mesh woven with synthetic fibers such as nylon is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the exhaust pipe 26.
[0030]
A stabilizer 29 is attached to a lower end of the exhaust pipe 26. The stabilizer 29 is formed by radially combining four wing pieces, and has a horizontal cross-section having a cross shape. The tip of the stabilizer 29 reaches near the bottom of the dust cup 21. The stabilizer 29 functions to promote the separation of dust from the airflow and to suppress the movement of dust accumulated at the bottom of the dust cup 21.
[0031]
In order to discard the dust in the dust cup 21 or clean the filter 28, the dust collecting device 20 is provided with an access opening by an appropriate method. The access opening can be realized by, for example, a structure in which the upper part of the dust cup 21 is covered with a lid, and when the lid is opened, the horizontal partition wall 22 and the exhaust pipe 26 and the stabilizer 29 are pulled out from the lid. Alternatively, the dust collecting device 20 may be divided into upper and lower parts such that the exhaust chamber 24 is a main body of the dust collector 20 and the centrifugal separation chamber 23 is a dust cup detachable from the main body. it can.
[0032]
An outlet 30 is formed in the exhaust chamber 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the inlet 25 and the outlet 30 are provided on the side of the dust collector 20 facing the dust collector holding unit 12. The inflow port 25 and the outflow port 30 face the same direction, that is, substantially to the left.
[0033]
A first ventilation path 31 is provided for the inflow port 25 of the dust collecting device 20, and a second ventilation path 32 is provided for the outflow port 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The first ventilation path 31 communicates with a suction port (details will be described later) of the suction port body 70, and guides the airflow sucked from the suction port to the inflow port 25. The second ventilation path 32 communicates with the suction port of the electric blower 13, and guides the airflow that has flowed out of the outlet 30 to the electric blower 13.
[0034]
The main part of the first ventilation path 31 is constituted by a flexible hose 33. One end of the flexible hose 33 is fixed to one end of a connection pipe 34 (see FIG. 3) provided horizontally on the dust collector holding unit 12. The other end of the connection pipe 34 serves as an outlet 35 of the first ventilation path 31, to which the inlet 25 of the dust collector 20 is connected. A seal ring 36 is attached to the outlet 35 to maintain airtightness when the inlet 25 is connected. The other end of the flexible hose 33 is detachably fitted to a connection pipe 78 protruding from the upper surface of the side shell 72 of the suction port body 70. The connection pipe 78 communicates with a suction port described later.
[0035]
The main part of the first ventilation path 31 may be formed of a tubular body other than the flexible hose. For example, a plurality of rigid pipes can be replaced by ones that are connected to extend and contract. In short, the tube can absorb the fluctuation of the distance between the connecting pipe 34 and the connecting pipe 78 when the cleaner main body 10 is upright and when it is turned down, and the internal pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure and does not collapse. Any body is acceptable.
[0036]
The second ventilation path 32 is constituted by the hollow part itself of the dust collector holding part 12. The upper portion of this hollow portion is delimited by a partition wall 12a (see FIG. 2), so that the second air passage 32 does not communicate with the overhang portion 17. An inlet 37 of the second ventilation path 32 is formed on a side surface of the dust collector holding part 12 at a position corresponding to the outlet 30 of the dust collector 20. In order to maintain airtightness when the outlet 30 is connected, a seal ring 38 is attached to the inlet 37.
[0037]
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the lower end of the second ventilation channel 32 reaches the bottom of the blower shell 11. An outlet 39 is provided in a side wall at the lower end of the second ventilation path 32. The outlet 39 is directly connected to a suction port 13 a of the electric blower 13 via a vibration-proof cushion 40 that also serves as airtightness.
[0038]
The dust collecting device 20 is attached to the dust collecting device holding portion 12 through an operation of pressing the dust collecting device 20 against the dust collecting device holding portion 12 such that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the longitudinal direction of the dust collecting device holding portion 12. More specifically, the attachment is performed through an operation of inserting the dust collecting device 20 into a space surrounded by the pedestal portion 16, the overhang portion 17, and the rear support wall 18.
[0039]
A slide-type latch 43 is mounted on the upper end of the dust collecting device 20. The latch 43 is constantly pushed upward by a spring (not shown), and engages with the edge of the overhang portion 17 at the final stage of insertion of the dust collector 20. In this case, the dust collecting device 20 cannot be removed from the dust collecting device holding portion 12 unless the latch 43 is pressed down against the spring (not shown) and the tip of the latch 43 is separated from the overhang portion 17.
[0040]
The inside of the base 16 communicates with an exhaust space 50 where the electric blower 13 exhausts air. A filter 51 is inserted into the base 16. The filter 51 is for collecting fine dust passing through the filter 28 of the dust collecting device 20. A HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter or the like is suitable as the filter 51.
[0041]
The airflow having the dust captured by the filter 51 returns to the room through an exhaust port 54 (see FIG. 1) formed in front of the pedestal portion 16. The exhaust port 54 has a plurality of horizontal slits arranged vertically.
[0042]
The control section 60 is disposed inside the overhang section 17 (see FIG. 2). The control unit 60 and the electric blower 13 are connected via a lead wire. The control unit 60 controls the operation of the entire vacuum cleaner 1. An upper front portion of the overhang portion 17 becomes an operation panel portion 61 in which various switch buttons are arranged. Since the operation panel section 61 is provided on the overhang section 17, the operation is easy.
[0043]
A separately formed handle 62 is fixed to the tip of the dust collector holding unit 12. A bracket 63 protrudes obliquely downward from the rear lower surface of the blower shell 11, and a wheel 64 is attached to the bracket 63 (see FIG. 4). The wheels 64 are provided one at each of the left and right ends of the blower shell 11. In front of the wheels 64, support legs 65 are also formed, one each on the left and right. When the dust collector holding unit 12 is set up vertically, the cleaner body 10 is supported at four points on the floor by the wheels 64 and the support legs 65.
[0044]
Next, the structure of the suction port body 70 will be described. As described above, the suction port body 70 is provided with side shells 72 and 73 on the left and right sides of a flat box-shaped central shell 71, and rear portions of the side shells 72 and 73 are formed as rear projections 74 and 75. . The center shell 71 and the side shells 72 and 73 are integrally formed of, for example, a synthetic resin.
[0045]
The lower surfaces of the central shell 71 and the side shells 72 and 73 are openings, and the bottom plate 80 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) closes the openings. A plurality of suction ports are formed in a front portion of the bottom plate 80. The rear part of the bottom plate 80 has a slope that becomes higher toward the rear.
[0046]
In the illustrated structure example, two suction ports are provided in the front part of the bottom plate 80 in a form arranged in front and rear. The first suction port 81 is elongated in the left and right directions, and has a width substantially equal to the width of the suction port body 70 excluding a belt driving unit described later. The second suction port 82 is formed parallel to the first suction port 81 and located in front of the first suction port 81. The opening area of the second suction port 82 is much smaller than the opening area of the first suction port 81.
[0047]
Independent suction passages are provided for the first suction port 81 and the second suction port 82, respectively. The suction passage 83 for the first suction port 81 is formed on the lower surface on the side of the central shell 71 (see FIG. 4). The suction passage 83 has a funnel-like shape, and an outlet 84 is provided at a position deviated leftward when viewed from the front.
[0048]
The suction passage 85 for the second suction port 82 is disposed so as to overlap the suction passage 83. The suction passage 85 is formed between the upper surface side of the central shell 71 and a lid 86 which is detachably attached to the central shell 71 at a distance therefrom. The lid 86 has its front end hooked on the central shell 71, and its rear end connected to the central shell 71 with screws or latches 86a (see FIG. 1) to maintain the attached state. The lid 86 is formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the inside of the suction passage 85 can be seen from the outside. The outlet 87 of the suction passage 85 is provided near the rear center of the suction passage 85.
[0049]
An inlet switching device 90 is disposed inside the rear projection 74 of the side shell 72. The suction port switching device 90 has a valve box 91, and upper and lower inflow ports 92 and 93 are provided on the front surface of the valve box 91. The lower inlet 92 is connected to the outlet 84 of the suction passage 83. As shown in FIG. 4, by directly connecting the outlet 84 to the inlet 92, the airflow passage structure is simplified, and the flow efficiency is improved. The upper inlet 93 is connected to an outlet 87 of the suction passage 85 via a hose (not shown).
[0050]
An outlet common to the inlets 92 and 93 is provided on the upper surface of the valve box 91. In the case of the illustrated example, the outlet itself is a connection pipe 78 that starts the first ventilation path 31.
[0051]
A switching valve 95 that rotates in a vertical plane is disposed in the valve box 91. The switching valve 95 is attached to a valve shaft 96, and rotates with the rotation of the valve shaft 96. By the rotation, the switching valve 95 selectively closes one of the inflow ports 92 and 93 and opens the other. The detailed structure of the suction port switching device 90 will be described later. On both surfaces of the switching valve 95, seal members (not shown) molded of soft rubber or the like are attached to improve airtightness when the inflow ports 92 and 93 are closed.
[0052]
The bottom surface of the suction port body 70 is provided with first and second ground support portions. The first ground support portion 101 is provided at the first suction port 81 or the second suction port 82 or in the vicinity thereof. Although FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that the first ground support 101 is located in the second suction port 82, this is merely an example, and the arrangement of the first ground support 101 is described. The location is not limited here. The first ground support portion 101 plays an important role in the present invention, and details thereof will be described later.
[0053]
The second ground support 102 is formed by a pair of left and right protrusions formed on the bottom plate 80. The second ground support 102 is provided behind the first suction port 81. This point is also where the inclination of the rear part of the bottom plate 80 starts. When the dust collector holding unit 12 is erected, the second ground support 102 serves as a support for the suction port body 70, and the first ground support 101 rises from the floor as shown in FIG.
[0054]
A guide portion 103 protrudes from the front end of the suction port body 70. The guide portion 103 is located in front of the second suction port 82 and has a width substantially equal to the width of the suction port body 70. The lower surface of the guide portion 103 becomes an inclined surface 104 that becomes gradually lower toward the second suction port 82 (see FIG. 5). The front end of the slope 104 is higher than the entrance of the second suction port 82 by about 3 mm.
[0055]
An agitator 110 is provided in the first suction port 81. As the agitator 110, it is common to use a plurality of rows of bristles implanted with a predetermined skew angle around a cylindrical rotating body, but instead of the rows of bristles, rubber or soft synthetic resin is used. A thin piece may be used. The axial direction of the agitator 110 coincides with the lateral width direction of the first suction port 81, and the agitator 110 is pivotally supported inside the suction port body 70 such that a part of the outer peripheral portion protrudes out of the first suction port 81. Is done.
[0056]
The drive power source of the agitator 110 is the drive shaft 15 of the electric blower 13, from which power is transmitted to the agitator 110 via the following power transmission mechanism. As shown in FIG. 2, a driving pulley 111 is fixed to the driving shaft 15. A belt 113 (see FIG. 1). The driving pulley 111 and the belt 113 are located inside the side shell 73. The belt 113 may be wound directly on the drive shaft 15 instead of fixing the separate driving pulley 111 on the drive shaft 15 and winding the belt 113 around the pulley 111.
[0057]
An idler that can rotate independently of the agitator is arranged side by side with the drive pulley so that the rotation of the agitator 110 can be stopped during operation of the electric blower 13. When the belt 113 is hung on the idler, the idler only idles, and no power is transmitted to the agitator 110. A belt changing device 120 for changing the belt 113 is provided inside the side shell 73, and its structure will be described later in detail.
[0058]
Next, a detailed structure of the suction port switching device 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. The left side surface of the valve box 91 of the suction port switching device 90 is open, and the cover 131 closes this opening. The lid 131 is fixed to the valve box 91 with screws. In order to maintain airtightness, a seal member 91 a is attached to the rim of the opening of the valve box 91.
[0059]
The switching valve 95 and the lever 132 are integrally formed on the valve shaft 96. As a molding method, the three members of the valve shaft 96, the switching valve 95, and the lever 132 may be integrally molded by injection molding of synthetic resin or metal, or may be separately molded and fixed.
[0060]
The right end of the valve shaft 96 is a small diameter portion 96 a, which projects from a shaft hole (not shown) provided in the valve box 91 to the right side of the valve box 91. The portion on the left side of the small-diameter portion 96a is pivotally supported by being sandwiched between a concave portion 91b having a semicircular cross section formed on the inner surface of the valve box 91 and a semicircular notch 131a formed on the lid 131. That is, the recess 91b and the notch 131a are combined to form one bearing. The concave portion 91b is located between the inlets 92 and 93, and is located on the upstream side of the air flow inside the valve box 91. The reason for arranging the switching valve 95 upstream of the airflow is to prevent dust from entangled in the valve shaft 96 and affect the movement of the switching valve 95.
[0061]
The lever 132 is integrally formed where the valve shaft 96 comes out of the notch 131a. The lever 132 is a component of an interlocking unit that interlocks the suction port switching device 90 and the belt switching device 120. In order to integrally form the lever 132 in addition to the switching valve 95, a material having a predetermined strength such as engineering plastic grade synthetic resin or metal is used for the valve shaft 96.
[0062]
The lever 132 has a shape in which two long and short arms 132a and 132b are projected from the valve shaft 96 in opposite directions. A slit 132c is formed at the tip of the longer arm 132a. The longitudinal direction of the slit 132c matches the longitudinal direction of the longer arm 132a. A toggle spring 133 is disposed between the shorter arm 132b and the lid 131.
[0063]
The toggle spring 133 is formed of a torsion coil spring, and has one end engaged with the distal end of the shorter arm 132b and the other end engaged with a hollow boss 131b formed on the outer surface of the lid 131, respectively. The angle position of the valve shaft 96 where the shorter arm 132b and the hollow boss 131b are closest to each other is a conceivable point of the toggle mechanism. At this point, the toggle spring 133 applies the urging force in the direction of closing the inlet 92 or the inlet 93. Is applied to the switching valve 95 in the direction in which the is closed.
[0064]
A pedal 134 for performing a switching operation of the switching valve 95 is mounted on the left end of the valve shaft 96 (see FIG. 1). The pedal 134 is disposed in a concave portion 74 a formed at the upper left corner of the rear projecting portion 74 of the suction opening body 70. The front and rear portions of the pedal 134 centering on the mounting portion to the valve shaft 96 are at an angle to each other, and have a shape of a "ku" when viewed from the side. By stepping on the raised portion of the front and rear portions of the pedal 134, the pedal 134 moves like a seesaw to rotate the valve shaft 96.
[0065]
Next, a detailed structure of the belt transfer device 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. The belt changing device 120 is assembled around the elongated frame 141. The frame 141 is fixed inside the side shell 73 with the longitudinal direction facing the front-rear direction of the suction port body 70. The belt 113 passes under the frame 141. The belt 113 is exchanged between the driving pulley 112 and the idler 114. The drive pulley 112 is fixed to the shaft 110a of the agitator 110 so as to rotate integrally with the agitator 110. Idler 114 is located to the right of drive pulley 112 and is rotatable independently of agitator 110.
[0066]
The frame 141 supports a support shaft 142 extending in the front-rear direction. The axis of the support shaft 142 is parallel to the direction in which the belt 113 extends. The support shaft 142 rotatably supports a fork 150 for moving the belt 113. The fork 150 is a combination of a metal main body 151 and a synthetic resin shaft support 152 that cannot rotate with each other. The main body 151 of the fork 150 and the shaft support 152 are fixed by insert molding, screwing, caulking, or the like. Since the shaft support 152 is made of a synthetic resin, when the fork 150 rotates with respect to the support shaft 142, little noise is generated.
[0067]
The main body 151 of the fork 150 extends forward of the shaft support 152 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the direction in which the support shaft 142 and the belt 113 extend. The main body 151 sandwiches the belt 113 between a pair of parallel wall portions 151a at its tip. The parallel wall 151a extends parallel to the main body 151, and keeps each other parallel. The parallel wall 151a is separated from the shaft support 152 by a predetermined distance or more.
[0068]
A knob-shaped operation unit 152a is protruded from an upper portion of the shaft support 152. The operation section 152a projects outward from a window 75a formed in the rear projection 75 of the suction opening body 70. A position where the operating portion 152a hits one end of the window 75a is the one rotation limit of the shaft support 152, and a position where the operation portion 152a hits the hit provided on the other end of the window 75a is the other end of the shaft support 152. The rotation limit is reached. That is, the operation unit 152a and the window 75a constitute stopper means 153 that determines the rotation limit of the fork 150. The target that the operation unit 152a hits at the window 75a may be the side shell 73 or the frame 141.
[0069]
A toggle spring (not shown) is arranged between the shaft support 152 and the frame 141. This toggle spring is also formed of a torsion coil spring similarly to the toggle spring 133, and one end is engaged with the shaft support 152 and the other end is engaged with the frame 141, so that the angle conversion of the shaft support 152 is sharply performed.
[0070]
A lever 154 projects radially from the left side surface of the shaft support 152. On the left side surface of the frame 141, a lever 155 is supported by a support shaft 156 so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane. The lever 155 has a seesaw shape, and a slit 155 a provided on one arm engages with the lever 154. The other arm of the lever 155 also has a slit 155b. The longitudinal direction of each of the slits 155a and 155b coincides with the direction in which the arm extends.
[0071]
The suction port switching device 90 and the belt switching device 120 are connected by the interlocking means 160. The main part of the interlocking means 160 is a crank 161 formed by bending a steel rod or steel pipe into a substantially U-shape. The crank 161 is supported by a pair of left and right bearings 162 provided inside the suction port body 70 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. One end 161a of the crank 161 is engaged with the slit 132c of the lever 132 on the suction port switching device 90 side. The other end 161b of the crank 161 engages with the slit 155b of the lever 155 of the belt changing device 120. Like the lever 132, the lever 155 is also a component of the interlocking means 160.
[0072]
The cleaner body 10 is sandwiched between the U-shaped suction ports 70 as described above, and a suction port switching device 90 is disposed on one side of the suction port 70, and a belt switching device is provided on the other side. With the configuration in which the suction port switching device 120 is disposed, a predetermined portion of the suction port switching device 90 and the belt hooking device 120 can be disposed so as to overlap the left and right sides of the cleaner body 10, and the size of the suction port body 70, particularly, the size in the front-rear direction is reduced. be able to.
[0073]
Next, the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is not in use, that is, during storage, the dust collector holding unit 12 is in an upright state as shown in FIG. 4, and the cleaner body 10 is separated from the floor by two wheels 64 and support legs 65. It is supported at four points above. In the suction port body 70, the second ground support section 102 serves as a support for the suction port body 70, and the first ground support section 101 is raised from the floor. The agitator 110 is also out of contact with the floor.
[0074]
When using the vacuum cleaner 1, extend the cord (not shown), connect it to the power outlet, hold the handle 62 with one hand, tilt the dust collector holding unit 12 as shown in FIG. 10, and change the posture to the cleaning work posture. I do. Then, the cleaner body 10 acts like a lever. That is, the handle 62 is the leverage point, the wheel 64 is the leverage point, the support shaft 14 and the drive shaft 15 (the cylindrical support shaft outside the drive shaft 15) are leverage points, and the support shaft 14 and the drive shaft 15 ( The cylindrical support shaft outside the drive shaft 15 raises the rear part of the suction port body 70. The support leg 65 is separated from the floor.
[0075]
When the cleaner main body 10 is tilted until the height of the handle 62 becomes about 60 to 80 cm from the floor, the second ground support portion 102 separates from the floor and has a first suction port 81 and a second suction port 82. The front portion of the bottom plate 80 is substantially parallel to the floor. Then, the first ground support 101 and the agitator 110 come into contact with the floor (see FIG. 5). 60-80 cm is the height of the handle 62 when an average-sized adult pushes or pulls the vacuum cleaner 1 for cleaning work.
[0076]
In this state, the degree of protrusion of the first ground support 101 is set so that the gap between the first suction port 81 and the surface to be cleaned or the gap between the second suction port 82 and the surface to be cleaned has an optimum value. I do. As an example, the height from the floor of the entrance of the second suction port 82 (H in FIG. 5) ₁ ) Is adjusted to 0.8 to 2 mm so that the degree of protrusion of the first ground support 101 is adjusted. The second suction port 82 approaches the floor up to this distance (0.8 to 2 mm), where the first ground support 101 hits the floor and does not approach any further.
[0077]
When a predetermined switch of the operation panel section 61 is operated to drive the electric blower 13, the electric blower 13 passes through the suction port 13 a through the second ventilation path 32, the dust collecting device 20, and the first ventilation path 31. Exerts suction force on
[0078]
When the suction port switching device 90 has selected the first suction port 81, airflow is sucked from the first suction port 81. If the suction port switching device 90 has selected the second suction port 82, airflow is sucked from the second suction port 82. In a state where the first suction port 81 is selected, the belt changing device 120 hangs the belt 113 on the driving pulley 112. Accordingly, the agitator 110 is driven by the electric blower 13.
[0079]
Hereinafter, the description will be given on the assumption that the first suction port 81 is selected by the suction port switching device 90. The rotating agitator 110 lifts dust from the floor or a floor covering. When the agitator 110 is rotated on a soft flooring (for example, a carpet having a bristle length of 4 to 20 mm), the first ground support 101 sinks into the soft flooring. For this reason, the agitator 110 and the first suction port 81 approach the soft floor material, and the dust is drawn out and sucked strongly. If a limit is added to the width of the first grounding support portion 101 as viewed from the front (for example, the total frontal width of the first grounding support portion 101 is set to be equal to or less than half the width of the first suction port 81, or The width of each of the ground support portions 101 is set to 10 to 20 mm), and the sinking of the first ground support portion 101 into the soft floor material is ensured.
[0080]
As described above, on the carpet, the first ground support 101 sinks into the hair of the carpet, and the front portion of the bottom plate 80 supports the suction opening 70. Therefore, operability on the carpet is ensured. The distance between the outer periphery of the agitator 110 and the trailing edge of the first suction port 81 (G in FIG. 5) ₁ ) Is set to 5 to 10 mm, so that operability and suction performance are compatible.
[0081]
The height from the floor to the tip of the guide portion 103 (H in FIG. 5) ₂ ) Is the height from the floor to the entrance of the second suction port 82 (H in FIG. 5). ₁ ) Is about 3 mm (may be about 3 to 4.5 mm) higher, so that dust on the carpet is not removed even when the front portion of the bottom plate 80 hits the carpet. In the case of rice-sized garbage, the guide portion 103 rides over the garbage and invites it to the first suction port 81. The slope 104 is set so that the inclination of the slope 104 does not exceed 40 to 50 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane in order to ensure the performance of getting over dust.
[0082]
The dust agitated by the agitator 110 enters the inflow port 92 of the suction port switching device 90 together with the airflow flowing from the first suction port 81, passes through the connecting pipe 78 from the suction port switching device 90, and passes through the first ventilation path. Enter 31. The airflow passing through the first ventilation path 31 enters the centrifugal separation chamber 23 from the inlet 25 of the dust collector 20.
[0083]
The airflow flowing from the inlet 25 turns around the exhaust pipe 26 at high speed. Dust in the airflow is separated from the airflow by centrifugal force and accumulates at the bottom of the dust cup 21. The swirling airflow from which the dust has been separated is sucked into the exhaust pipe 26 and passes through the exhaust chamber 24. The dust that has not been centrifuged is filtered by the filter 28. The airflow that has flowed into the exhaust chamber 24 flows out of the outlet 30.
[0084]
The airflow swirling in the centrifugal separation chamber 23 swirls not only around the exhaust stack 26 but also around the stabilizer 29. At this time, when the airflow collides with the wings of the stabilizer 29, dust in the airflow separates from the airflow and falls to the bottom of the dust cup 21. If the suction of the dust is continued, the dust lump grows from the bottom of the dust cup 21. The stabilizer 29 suppresses the movement of the dust lump, and prevents the dust from rising again.
[0085]
The airflow that has exited the dust collector 20 enters the second ventilation path 32. The second ventilation path 32 is connected to the suction port 13a of the electric blower 13 in substantially the same plane, and the air flow goes straight to the suction port 13a without being blocked or obstructed by anything. Since the hollow part itself of the dust collecting device holding part 12 forms the second ventilation path 32, it can be a large-area ventilation path, and the airflow distribution efficiency is also improved in this respect.
[0086]
The airflow sucked into the electric blower 13 is discharged to the exhaust space 50 and enters the pedestal portion 16. Fine dust not filtered by the filter 28 is filtered by the filter 51. Thereafter, the airflow is exhausted from the exhaust port 54.
[0087]
While the electric blower 13 is driven, the belt 113 runs. The running belt 113 cannot be prevented from coming into contact with the fork 150 at all. However, the belt 113 comes into contact with the parallel wall 151a of the metal main body 151. Therefore, it is inevitable that the temperature of the main body 151 rises due to frictional heat, but unlike a synthetic resin molded product, the main body 151 is not damaged by overheating. Resistant to wear. Further, since the parallel wall portion 151a is separated from the shaft support portion 152 by a predetermined distance or more, heat is radiated at a portion of the main body 151 located between the parallel wall portion 151a and the shaft support portion 152, and the shaft support portion 152 which is a synthetic resin molded product. No excessive frictional heat is transmitted from the parallel wall portion 151a.
[0088]
When cleaning a corner of the room, the pedal 134 is operated to switch the suction port switching device 90 to the second suction port 82. That is, the switching valve 95 opens the inflow port 92 and closes the inflow port 93, but the inflow port 93 is opened and the inflow port 92 is closed. At this time, the valve shaft 96 rotates counterclockwise (direction of arrow A) in FIG. Then, the lever 132 raises the end 161 a of the crank 161, and the entire crank 161 rotates clockwise (the direction of arrow B) in the bearing 162. With this movement, the other end 161b of the crank 161 raises the front of the lever 155. The rear part of the lever 155 is reversed and pushes down the lever 154. As a result, the fork 150 rotates around the axis of the support shaft 142. The rotation direction is a counterclockwise direction (arrow C direction) when viewed from the front.
[0089]
When the fork 150 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, the parallel wall portion 151a moves from left to right in an arc having a radius equal to the distance from the center of the support shaft 121. With this movement, the belt 113 is switched from the drive pulley 112 to the idler 114. The fork 150 rotates around an axis parallel to the extension direction of the belt 113, and the fork 150 is not a mechanism for amplifying the vibration at the parallel wall portion 151a at the tip, so that the movement of the belt 113 is always stable. Further, since the rotation limit of the fork 150 is determined by the stopper means 153, the belt 113 is properly positioned at a predetermined position.
[0090]
No matter how much the shaft support 152 is rotated, the parallel wall 151a is kept parallel to the extension direction of the belt 113. Therefore, the deformation (twist, twist) of the belt 113 is small. This means that the parallel wall 151a and the belt 113 are less damaged.
[0091]
In the state where the electric blower 13 is stopped and the drive shaft 15 is not rotating, a complete changeover is not achieved. When the driving of the electric blower 13 is started, the belt 113 is completely transferred to the idler 114. The same is true when the belt 113 is switched from the idler 114 to the drive pulley 112.
[0092]
Switching from the first suction port 81 to the second suction port 82 is also possible by operating the operation unit 152a. That is, when the first suction port 81 is used, the operation unit 152a is located at the right end of the window 75a. When the operation unit 152a is moved to the left end of the window 75a, the fork 150 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and the belt 113 is switched from the drive pulley 112 to the idler 114. At the same time, the lever 154 is lowered, and the rear part of the lever 155 is pushed down. The front part of the lever 155 rises and lifts the end 161b of the crank 161. The entire crank 161 rotates in the bearing 162 in the direction opposite to the arrow B, and the other end 161 a of the crank 161 raises the longer arm of the lever 132. As a result, the valve shaft 96 rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow A, and the switching valve 95 moves to a position where the inlet 93 is opened and the inlet 92 is closed.
[0093]
When dust is sucked using the second suction port 82, on a hard floor, the first ground support 101 stably stabilizes the distance between the entrance of the second suction port 82 and the floor to a predetermined value (0). 0.8-2 mm). Therefore, a path for dust is secured between the second suction port 82 and the floor. The opening area of the second suction port 82 is smaller than that of the first suction port 81, and the suction force is concentrated on a narrow portion. Accordingly, a high-speed suction airflow is generated at the entrance of the second suction port 82, and a stronger suction force is exerted on the dust than in the suction method involving rotation of the agitator. By setting the gap to 0.8 to 2 mm, dust and powder-like dust can be efficiently sucked.
[0094]
When using the second inlet 82, the inhaled airflow passes under a transparent or translucent lid 86. Therefore, the status of dust suction can be directly visually confirmed. When dust is clogged in the second suction passage 85, the lid 86 can be removed to remove the dust causing the clogging.
[0095]
It is not only the first suction port 81 and the second suction port 82 that can be used for sucking dust. A flexible hose 33 can also be used. If the flexible hose 33 is pulled out of the connecting pipe 78 and a suction tool such as a clearance nozzle or a furniture brush is attached to the end of the flexible hose 33, it is possible to clean a narrow place or a high place where the suction opening 70 is difficult to reach.
[0096]
When the cleaning operation is completed, the vacuum cleaner 1 is carried to a storage place when not in use, and the cleaner main body 10 is brought into a storage posture. That is, the dust collector holding unit 12 is set upright. Then, the rear portion of the suction port body 70 is lowered, and the second ground support section 102 hits the floor to support the suction port body 70, and the first ground support section 101 rises from the floor. The outer periphery of the agitator 110 also rises from the floor. Therefore, even if the electric blower 13 is still driving at this point, the agitator 110 does not rub the floor and does not damage the floor.
[0097]
As long as the dust collector holding unit 12 is kept upright, the outer periphery of the agitator 110 does not touch the floor. Therefore, even if it is left as it is for a long time, the bristles (or a thin piece of rubber or a soft synthetic resin) planted in the agitator 110 do not deform.
[0098]
When a large amount of dust is accumulated in the dust collecting device 20, the latch 43 is released, the dust collecting device 20 is pulled out, and the dust inside is discarded. If necessary, the filter 28 is also cleaned. Then, the dust collecting device 20 is set as before. If the dust cup 21 is formed of a transparent or translucent material, it is easy to check the degree of accumulation of dust.
[0099]
The lateral widths of the second suction port 82 and the suction passage 85 may be increased to the limit. That is, the horizontal width of the second suction port 82 and the suction passage 85 (the inlet portion) is increased to a point where only the thickness of the left and right side walls of the suction port body 70 remains. Although the strength of the suction port body 70 is slightly reduced, the suction width of the second suction port 82 is increased, which leads to a further improvement in suction force.
[0100]
In the vacuum cleaner 1 as described above, each embodiment of the present invention is formed by applying the following contrivance to the structure of the first grounding support portion 101 and the surrounding structure.
[0101]
A first embodiment is shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial bottom view of the suction port body 70, and FIG. 12 is a partial vertical sectional view of the suction port body 70. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line AA in FIG.
[0102]
In the first embodiment, two cylindrical rollers 250 arranged symmetrically on the bottom plate 80 of the suction opening body 70 constitute the first ground support 101. A pocket 251 is provided at a position adjacent to the front corner of the first suction port 81 and at a slightly rearward lateral position with respect to the second suction port 82, and a roller 250 is provided therein. It is rotatably mounted by a horizontal support shaft 252. The axial direction of the support shaft 252 coincides with the left-right direction of the suction opening body 70. The degree of protrusion of the roller 250 is set so that the gap between the first suction port 81 and the surface to be cleaned or the gap between the second suction port 82 and the surface to be cleaned has an optimum value. The gap between the second suction port 82 and the surface to be cleaned is 0.8 to 2 mm as described above. It is desirable to set it to 1.5 mm from the viewpoint of suction efficiency.
[0103]
The bottom plate 80 is provided with a ventilation groove 253 at a position in front of the pocket 251. The ventilation groove 253 extends substantially parallel to the axial direction of the support shaft 252, that is, the axial direction of the roller 250, and opens toward the surface to be cleaned. One end of the ventilation groove 253 communicates with the second suction port 82, and the other end communicates with the outside of the suction port body 70. Due to such a configuration, the ventilation groove 253 covers the entire front projection area of the roller 250.
[0104]
The bumper 254 made of a soft synthetic resin or rubber constitutes the guide portion 103. The bumper 254 goes around to the side surface of the suction opening body 70. The bumper 254 relieves the impact when the suction opening 70 collides with a wall or furniture, and prevents mutual damage.
[0105]
The operation of the first embodiment is as follows. Due to the presence of the roller 250, the suction port body 70 moves lightly. When dust is suctioned using the second suction port 82, an airflow that flows from the outside of the suction port body 70 to the second suction port 82 through the ventilation groove 253 is generated. Due to this flow of air, dust at a location off the side from the second suction port 82 is also carried to the second suction port 82. Therefore, the range in which the second suction port 82 can exert a suction force is expanded laterally, and dust can be sucked from a wide area. This means that the suction performance of the vacuum cleaner 1 has been improved.
[0106]
Even if solid dust (sand, solidified powder, etc.) is present on the traveling line of the roller 250, the dust is distributed before the roller 250 rides on because the ventilation groove 253 covers the entire front projection area of the roller 250. The air is sucked into the second suction port 82 from the ventilation groove 253. Accordingly, the distance between the second suction port 82 and the surface to be cleaned is always kept constant, and a predetermined dust-absorbing force is guaranteed.
[0107]
Not only solid dust but also dust on the traveling line of the roller 250 that may hinder the rotation of the roller 250 is sucked into the second suction port 82 from the ventilation groove 253. Accordingly, the light rotation of the roller 250 is maintained for a long time.
[0108]
Each of the first suction port 81 and the second suction port 82, the roller 250 and the ventilation groove 253 has a shape in which the longitudinal direction or the axial direction is substantially parallel, and the roller 250 and the ventilation groove 253 are arranged in front and rear. It has become. Therefore, even if the ventilation groove 253 occupies a certain width when viewed from the front, the influence on the opening area of the first suction port 81 is small. This arrangement is rational, and both the first suction port 81 and the second suction port 82 can clean a wide area.
[0109]
The air flowing through the ventilation groove 253 has a smaller air volume than the air flowing through the second suction port 82. Therefore, the depth of the ventilation groove 253 is not so much increased, thereby increasing the wind speed of the passing air and securing the dust absorbing force.
[0110]
In the case of FIG. 11, a portion corresponding to the back side of the ventilation groove 253 is a space used for reinforcing the suction port body 70, so that the shallow ventilation groove 253 is provided. If there is no such restriction, the second suction port 82 can be expanded so far to exert a strong suction force.
[0111]
If the ventilation groove 253 is made to communicate not only with the second suction port 82 but also with the first suction port 81, even when the first suction port 81 is selected by the suction port switching device 90, air flows into the ventilation groove 253. Dust can be sucked into the first suction port 81 through the flow and ventilation groove 253.
[0112]
A second embodiment is shown in FIGS. FIG. 13 is a partial bottom view of the suction opening 70, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are partial vertical sectional views of the suction opening 70. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.
[0113]
Many components of the second embodiment are common to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, in order to avoid repetition of description, the same components as those used in the description of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted. The same principle applies to the description of the third embodiment.
[0114]
In the second embodiment, the position of the pocket 251 is shifted forward, and the ventilation groove 253 is provided behind the pocket 251. The ventilation groove 253 extends substantially parallel to the axial direction of the support shaft 252, that is, the axial direction of the roller 250, and opens toward the surface to be cleaned. One end of the ventilation groove 253 communicates with the second suction port 82, and the other end communicates with the outside of the suction port body 70. The portion of the ventilation groove 253 that communicates with the outside of the suction opening body 70 has a wide width in the front-rear direction and forms an enlarged entrance portion 255.
[0115]
The operation of the second embodiment is as follows. Also here, the presence of the roller 250 allows the suction port body 70 to move lightly. When dust is suctioned using the second suction port 82, an airflow that flows from the outside of the suction port body 70 to the second suction port 82 through the ventilation groove 253 is generated. Due to this flow of air, dust at a location off the side from the second suction port 82 is also carried to the second suction port 82. Therefore, the range in which the second suction port 82 can exert a suction force is expanded laterally, and dust can be sucked from a wide area. This means that the suction performance of the vacuum cleaner 1 has been improved.
[0116]
Further, in the second embodiment, since the ventilation groove 253 has the enlarged inlet portion 255, the suction performance with respect to the side of the suction opening body 70 is improved. Incidentally, this enlarged entrance can be implemented also in the first embodiment.
[0117]
A third embodiment is shown in FIGS. FIG. 16 is a partial bottom view of the suction opening 70, and FIGS. 17 and 18 are partial vertical cross-sectional views of the suction opening 70. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG.
[0118]
In the third embodiment, the pocket 251 is provided on the center side of the suction port body 70 so as to be located between the first suction port 81 and the second suction port 82. In the first and second embodiments, one roller 250 is provided near each of the left and right ends, whereas in the third embodiment, a plurality of rollers 250 are provided at the center side. Although the number of the rollers 250 is not limited, it is practically preferable to set the number to about two, for example, so as not to be too large.
[0119]
The ventilation groove 253 is provided in front of the pocket 251. In addition, not only both ends but also an intermediate portion thereof is entirely directly connected to the second suction port 82.
[0120]
The operation of the third embodiment is as follows. Also here, the presence of the roller 250 allows the suction port body 70 to move lightly. When dust is suctioned using the second suction port 82, dust in front of the roller 250 is sucked into the second suction port 82 from the ventilation groove 253. The second inlet 82 is designed to increase the airflow speed by narrowing the front and rear widths from 4 mm to 25 mm in order to correspond to a floor surface such as a flooring. Therefore, the airflow passing through the ventilation groove 253 is also high-speed, exerts a strong dust-absorbing force on the dust on the surface to be cleaned, and can efficiently absorb the dust. As described above, since the ventilation groove 253 is entirely directly connected to the second suction port 82, the suction performance is further improved.
[0121]
As described above, the ventilation groove 253 is directly connected to the second suction port 82, but a part of an intermediate portion of the ventilation groove 253 has a front surface of the pocket 251 and a wall surface of the second suction port 82 opposed thereto. May be provided. The provision of such reinforcing ribs does not significantly affect the suction force. Further, if the lower end of the reinforcing rib ends at a position above the lower surface of the bottom plate 80 so that a concave shape is formed, the influence on the suction force is further reduced.
[0122]
Since the pocket 251 projects into the second suction port 82, the front-rear width of the second suction port 82 is smaller in this portion than in the other portions. When the width of the narrowed portion is set to about 4 mm to 6 mm, the suction performance is further improved. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, when the width of the suction port portion 82a which is located on the side of the pocket 251 and connects the second suction port 82 and the suction passage 85 is set to be about 15 mm to 20 mm from the end of the pocket 251. In addition, the suction performance at both ends is further improved.
[0123]
Only one pocket 251 may be provided on the center line of the suction opening body 70. With this configuration, the suction port can be used more widely, and the suction performance is further improved. In this case, the pocket 251 does not need to exactly coincide with the center line of the suction port body 70. It may be slightly shifted to the left or right.
[0124]
According to the configuration of the third embodiment, the second suction port 82 (and the first suction port 82) is provided by the ground support portion 101 (which may be plural or singular) provided at the center side of the suction port body 70. The gap between the suction port 81) and the surface to be cleaned can be maintained, and the suction port having a sufficient area can be developed on both sides of the ground support portion 101, so that a uniform suction force can be exerted over a wide range. Thereby, the suction performance is further improved.
[0125]
The ventilation groove 253 can be provided on the first suction port 81 side. The first suction port 81 has a large area, and the velocity of the passing airflow is lower than that of the second suction port 82. Therefore, it is difficult to generate a high-speed airflow in the ventilation groove 253 to give a strong dust-absorbing force, but it is expected that the suction area can be improved by expanding the suction area.
[0126]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, other various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, the present invention is applicable not only to an upright type vacuum cleaner in which the suction port body is rotatably connected to the cleaner body, but also to a canister type vacuum cleaner in which the vacuum body and the suction port body are connected by a hose. Applicable.
[0127]
【The invention's effect】
In the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the ground support provided on the suction port body keeps a constant gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned, and exerts a predetermined dust-absorbing force. The ventilation groove is provided in at least a part of the periphery of the ground support portion, and the dust on the surface to be cleaned is sucked through the ventilation groove, so that the suction performance is improved. At least a part of the ventilation groove is located in front of the ground support, and even if solid dust is present on the traveling line of the ground support, the dust is drawn from the ventilation groove before the ground support rides on. Sucked into. Therefore, the gap between the suction port and the surface to be cleaned is always kept constant, and a predetermined dust absorbing force is guaranteed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structural example of a vacuum cleaner to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the vacuum cleaner.
FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal sectional view of a vacuum cleaner main body of the vacuum cleaner.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner, in which a portion of a suction port body is sectioned.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the suction port body in a situation different from that of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the suction port switching device.
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the suction port switching device.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an internal mechanism of the suction port body.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a part of an internal mechanism of the suction port body, viewed from a direction different from FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a side view similar to FIG. 4, showing a situation where the vacuum cleaner is placed in a different position;
FIG. 11 is a partial bottom view of the suction opening according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a partial vertical sectional view of the suction port according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a partial bottom view of a suction port according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a partial vertical sectional view of a suction port according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the suction port body according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which is taken in a direction perpendicular to FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a partial bottom view of a suction opening according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a partial vertical sectional view of a suction port according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a partial vertical sectional view of a suction opening according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which is taken in a direction perpendicular to FIG. 17;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 vacuum cleaner
10 Vacuum cleaner body
11 Blower housing
12 Dust collector holding part
13 Electric blower
15 Drive shaft
20 Dust collector
70 Suction port body
80 bottom plate
81 First suction port
82 Second suction port
90 Suction port switching device
101 first ground support
102 second ground support
110 agitator
250 rollers
251 pockets
252 spindle
253 ventilation groove

Claims (6)

In a vacuum cleaner that sucks dust from the suction port of the suction port body together with the airflow generated by the operation of the electric blower and introduces the sucked airflow into the dust collection device to collect the dust,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein a ground support portion is provided in the suction port and / or the vicinity thereof, and a ventilation groove communicating with the suction port is provided in at least a part of the periphery of the ground support portion. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction port body is provided with a plurality of suction ports, and the ventilation groove communicates with at least one of the suction ports. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of suction ports are switched and used by a suction port switching device. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ground support portion is disposed at a center side of the suction port body. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the ventilation groove is located in front of the ground support. The grounding support portion is constituted by a cylindrical roller having the left-right direction of the suction port body as the axial direction, and the ventilation groove is provided substantially parallel to the axial direction of the roller, and over the entire front projection area of the roller. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that:

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