JP2005087644A - Suction port body and vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner having an easy-to-use floor brush head. <P>SOLUTION: Cleaning members 21 each having a folded end are protruded from the periphery of a brush bed 14 of a rotary brush 13 in the length direction. Bristles 27 stick out of holes 26 formed at the edges of cloth blades 24 of the cleaning members 21, which not only prevents the dust on the floor from adhering to or winding around the roots of the bristles 27, contributing to the easy maintenance of the bristles 27, but also makes it possible to sweep the floor with the bristles 27 and polish it with the cloth blades 24 of the cleaning members 21, leading to the ease of use. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a suction port body having a rotary cleaning body provided on a case body so as to face a surface to be cleaned, and a vacuum cleaner including the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a floor brush as this type of suction port body includes a horizontally long case body having a suction port opened on a lower surface facing the floor surface as a surface to be cleaned. A rotary brush as a rotary cleaning body is rotatably attached to the suction port of the case body. This rotary brush is provided with a brush base as a substantially elongated cylindrical mounting member. On the outer peripheral surface of the brush base, a plurality of brush bristles arranged in a columnar shape are projected in the radial direction, and are planted by being spaced apart in the axial direction. And with these brush hairs, a rotating brush sweeps and cleans the dust on a floor surface (for example, refer patent document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-104322 (page 3-5, FIG. 2)

  However, if the floor surface is cleaned in the above-mentioned suction port body, there is a possibility that the thread dust on the floor surface will get entangled near the base of the brush hair. Is not easy.

  Further, since only the brush hair is planted on the brush base, it cannot be said that it is suitable for wiping and cleaning floor surfaces such as flooring.

  As a result, there is a problem that usability is not good.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing a suction port body with favorable usability, and a vacuum cleaner provided with the same.

  In the present invention, the rotary cleaning body provided on the case body so as to face the surface to be cleaned is protruded along the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting member of the shaft-shaped mounting member, and the tip end portion is folded back. A belt-shaped cleaning member, a hole formed in the cleaning member, and a brush protruding from the hole to the outside in the radial direction of the cleaning member are provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible not only to sweep and clean the surface to be cleaned with the brush and to polish the surface to be cleaned with the cleaning member, but also to remove the brush from the hole of the cleaning member in the radial direction of the cleaning member. The base of the brush can be covered with the cleaning member, and the cleaning member prevents the dust on the surface to be cleaned from getting entangled with the base of the brush, making it easier to maintain the brush and improving usability. Become.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the vacuum cleaner of the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 1 thru | or FIG.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaner body, and an electric blower 2 is accommodated in the cleaner body 1. The vacuum cleaner body 1 is a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner, and captures and collects dust sucked together with intake air generated by driving the electric blower 2.

  Further, a main body inlet 3 for sucking air from the outside is opened at the front center of the cleaner body 1. The main body suction port 3 is connected to a hose body 4 as a slender, substantially cylindrical connecting pipe that can be bent. At the tip of the hose body 4, a hand operation unit 5 that can select an operation mode of the electric blower 2 is provided.

  The hand operating unit 5 is provided with a plurality of setting buttons 6 for setting the driving state of the electric blower 2 and the like in the cleaner body 1 to a predetermined state. A gripping portion 7 is projected on the proximal end side. In addition, an extensible and elongated cylindrical extension pipe 8 is detachably connected to the distal end of the hand operation section 5 in a detachable manner. Further, a floor brush 9 as a suction port for sucking dust on the carpet is detachably connected to the tip of the extension pipe 8 by being installed on a carpet on the floor of the room, for example. . Therefore, the floor brush 9 communicates with the suction side of the electric blower 2 through the extension pipe 8, the hose body 4, and the main body suction port 3.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the floor brush 9 is provided with a convex case body 11 which is horizontally long with respect to the traveling direction which is the front-rear direction, and whose rear center is protruded rearward. Yes. An elongated rectangular suction port 12 is formed in the lower surface of the case body 11 that faces the floor as a surface to be cleaned. The suction port 12 is provided at a position displaced to the front side in the traveling direction of the case body 11, and is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction along the width direction with respect to the traveling direction of the case body 11. Yes.

  Further, on the inner side of the suction port 12 of the case body 11, a rotary brush 13 as an elongated, substantially cylindrical rotary cleaning body is rotatably supported and supported from the rear side in the running direction to the front side. . The rotating brush 13 is attached to face the floor surface when the suction port 12 of the case body 11 is made to face the floor surface. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotating brush 13 includes a brush base 14 that is a shaft member as an elongated substantially cylindrical shape, that is, a shaft-shaped mounting member.

  Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the brush base 14 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four engagement recesses 15 as mounting groove portions having a substantially concave cross section spirally twisted in the circumferential direction along the axial direction. The joint recess 15 is formed with the other end twisted, for example, 180 ° with respect to one end in the circumferential direction of the brush base 14.

  Further, the engagement recesses 15 are provided at equidistant positions at intervals in the circumferential direction of the brush base 14 in a state where the longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the brush base 14. These engaging recesses 15 are provided with a step between an enlarged portion 16 whose inside is wider in the circumferential direction and a communicating portion 17 that communicates from the enlarged portion 16 to the outer peripheral surface and is narrower than the enlarged portion 16. The cross-sectional shape is formed in a concave shape having a claw shape with a narrow tip. Here, the enlarged portions 16 of the engagement recesses 15 are formed in the shape of a concave arc on the base end side and in a planar shape with the inner edge on the front end side facing the base end side.

  Further, the base end side of the substantially elongated belt-like cleaning member 21 is locked and attached to each of the engagement recesses 15 along the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the cleaning members 21 are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brush base 14 in a state of being spirally twisted in the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the brush base 14. That is, the cleaning member 21 is provided in a state of being spirally twisted toward the periphery together with the brush base 14. The cleaning member 21 protrudes in a wall shape toward the radial direction of the brush base 14 in a state where the base end side is locked to the engagement recesses 15 of the brush base 14.

  Here, the cleaning member 21 includes an elongated substantially plate-like brush mounting portion 23 having a shape that substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the enlarged portion 16 of the engagement recess 15 of the brush base 14, and a fabric having flexibility and moisture retention. And a cloth blade 24 as a natural floor polishing member.

  The brush attachment portion 23 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin such as soft vinyl chloride, and can be engaged with and disengaged from the engagement recess 15 of the brush base 14.

  The cloth blade 24 is attached to the brush attachment portion 23. The cloth blade 24 is fixed to one side portion in the width direction of the brush mounting portion 23 and protrudes in the radial direction of the brush base 14 from the proximal end portion located in the engagement recess 15, and the distal end portion has a loop shape. It is folded back and fixed to the other side in the width direction of the brush mounting portion 23 and is located in the engagement recess 15. Therefore, the fabric blade 24 is folded back in a substantially U shape in a side view, and a space portion 25 is formed inside. Further, the fabric blade 24 is set to a length dimension that also comes into contact with a floor surface such as a flooring.

  In addition, a plurality of hole portions 26 for communicating the outside of the fabric blade 24 and the space portion 25 are formed in the folded end portion of the fabric blade 24. Each of the hole portions 26 is formed in a round hole shape at the tip end portion of the cloth blade 24, that is, the portion that protrudes most from the outer peripheral surface of the brush base 14. For this reason, the direction perpendicular to the opening surface, which is the surface including the inner peripheral edge of the hole 26, that is, the opening direction of the hole 26 is along the radial direction of the brush base 14, which is the radial direction of the rotating brush 13. These hole portions 26 are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the cloth blade 24, which is the longitudinal direction of the rotary brush 13, and spaced apart from each other at substantially equal intervals. Further, these hole portions 26 are provided so that the edge on the front side in the rotation direction contacts the floor surface when the rotary brush 13 rotates and the cleaning member 21 contacts the floor surface.

  Further, a plurality of brushes 27 serving as brushes as a sweeping member are implanted in the brush mounting portion 23 to which the cloth blade 24 is fixed to both sides. These brushes 27 are formed of a flexible member such as a synthetic resin, for example, and a plurality of brushes 27 are collectively provided at a position corresponding to each hole 26 and accommodated in the space 25 of the cloth blade 24. .

  Further, these brushes 27 project linearly from the brush mounting portion 23 along the radial direction of the brush base 14. The brushes 27 protrude from the hole portions 26 to the outside of the cloth blade 24 of the cleaning member 21 toward the outside in the radial direction of the brush base 14 of the rotary brush 13. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding dimension from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating brush 13 on the front side in the rotational direction of the cloth blade 24 of each cleaning member 21 is L1, the protruding dimension L2 on the rear side in the rotational direction of the cloth blade 24, and When the protruding dimension of the brush 27 is L, L1≈L2 <L. For this reason, the brush 27 is covered with the cloth blade 24 in the vicinity of the base end that is the base.

  Further, shafts (not shown) project from both end portions of the brush base 14, respectively. The substantially cylindrical receiving plates 41, which are receivers as holding members for holding and fixing both end portions of the brush base 14, are provided on these shafts. Are attached coaxially.

  An annular inner flange 44 for preventing the cleaning member 21 from coming off from the engagement recess 15 of the brush base 14 is provided concentrically on the peripheral surface portion of the receiving plate 41 facing the brush base 14. Yes.

  Furthermore, an annular outer flange 45 is provided coaxially on the peripheral surface portion of the receiving plate 41 with respect to the inner flange 44. On the outer peripheral surface side of the outer flange portion 45, a substantially cylindrical gear portion 47 having gear grooves 46 formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface is provided concentrically. A substantially cylindrical bearing 48 is fitted inside the front end side of the gear portion 47. The bearing 48 is fitted to an end portion of the shaft, and fixes the end portion of the shaft to be rotatable. As shown in FIG. 4, these bearings 48 are respectively engaged with a pair of shaft support recesses 51 provided on both side edges of the floor brush 9 in the traveling direction of the suction port 12 of the case body 11. As a result, the rotating brush 13 is rotatable with respect to the case body 11 of the floor brush 9.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a motor 61 as drive means is accommodated in the rear side of one pivotal support recess 51 in the case body 11 of the floor brush 9. A rotating shaft 62 that rotates by driving of the motor 61 protrudes from the tip of the motor 61. A gear 63 having a gear groove (not shown) formed on the outer peripheral surface is concentrically attached to the rotating shaft 62. The gear groove of the gear 63 is formed with the same interval and size as the gear groove 46 of the gear portion 47 of the receiving plate 41. Further, the gear 63 is located on the rear side of one receiving plate 41 of the rotating brush 13 attached in the case body 11 of the floor brush 9, and has a rotation direction that matches the rotation direction of the receiving plate 41. ing.

  A belt body 64 serving as an endless band is wound between the gear 63 and the gear portion 47 of one receiving plate 41 of the rotary brush 13 so as to bridge. On the inner peripheral surface of the belt body 64, a gear groove (not shown) having an interval and a size capable of engaging with each of the gear groove of the gear 63 and the gear groove 46 of the gear portion 47 is formed. Therefore, when the motor 61 is driven, the gear 63 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating shaft 62 of the motor 61, and the belt body 64 is rotated by the rotation of the gear 63, so that one receiving plate 41 of the rotating brush 13 is rotated. The rotating brush 13 is driven to rotate in the circumferential direction.

  Next, a method for assembling the floor brush according to the first embodiment will be described.

  First, a plurality of brushes 27 gathered together in a pre-formed brush attachment portion 23 are sequentially planted at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction, and then the cloth blade 24 in which the hole portion 26 is previously drilled. Glue the base end to one side in the width direction of the brush mounting portion 23, fold it back to expose the tip of the brush 27 from the hole 26, and bond to the other side in the width direction of the brush mounting portion 23 for cleaning The member 21 is manufactured.

  Next, the brush mounting portion 23 of the cleaning member 21 is slid into each engagement recess 15 from one end portion in the axial direction of the brush base 14 to the other end portion in each of the engagement recesses 15 of the brush base 14 that has been extruded. The cleaning member 21 is helically projected toward the radial direction of the brush base 14.

  Furthermore, the receiving plate 41 is fixed to the shafts attached to both ends of the brush base 14 with the cleaning member 21 attached to the outer peripheral surface, and the bearing 48 is rotated to the end of the shaft protruding outward from each receiving plate 41. The rotating brush 13 is fitted and attached as possible.

  Then, each of the bearings 48 of the rotary brush 13 is fitted into the shaft support recess 51 of the case body 11, and the rotary brush 13 is rotatably supported in the suction port 12 of the case body 11. The floor brush 9 is completed.

  Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

  First, when cleaning, the floor brush 9 is connected to the cleaner body 1 through the hose body 4 and the extension pipe 8. Then, the gripper 7 of the hose body 4 is held and pushed to run the floor brush 9 back and forth on the floor surface.

  At this time, dust on the floor surface is sucked together with air from the suction port 12 of the floor brush 9 by the suction force generated by driving the electric blower 2 in the cleaner body 1.

  Thereafter, the air sucked together with dust from the suction port 12 of the floor brush 9 was sucked from the floor brush 9 into the main body suction port 3 of the cleaner body 1 through the extension pipe 8 and the hose body 4 in order. Thereafter, the dust sucked into the dust collecting pack accommodated in the cleaner body 1 and sucked together with the air is captured.

  Here, for example, when the floor surface is a carpet or the like, when the predetermined setting button 6 of the hand operation unit 5 of the hose body 4 is turned on and the rotary brush 13 of the floor brush 9 is driven to rotate, the rotary brush With the rotation of the cleaning member 21, the tip end side of the brush 27 protruding from the hole 26 of the cloth blade 24 of the cleaning member 21 enters the carpet and scrapes dust entangled with the carpet.

  Then, the dust scraped out from the carpet by the cleaning member 21 and removed to the outside is sucked into the suction port 12 of the floor brush 9.

  Thereafter, the air sucked together with dust from the suction port 12 of the floor brush 9 was sucked from the floor brush 9 into the main body suction port 3 of the cleaner body 1 through the extension pipe 8 and the hose body 4 in order. Thereafter, the dust sucked into the dust collecting pack accommodated in the cleaner body 1 and sucked together with the air is captured.

  For example, when the floor surface is between plates, ie, flooring, the cloth blade 24 positioned on the front side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 13 is curved along the floor surface, as shown in FIG. At the same time, the tip of the brush 27 comes into contact with the floor surface and scrapes off dust on the floor surface.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the cleaning member 21 whose tip is folded back is projected along the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the brush base 14 of the rotating brush 13, The configuration is such that the tip of the brush 27 protrudes radially outward of the brush base 14 from the hole 26 provided at the tip of the fabric blade 24 to the outside of the fabric blade 24.

  Therefore, the brush 27 can sweep and clean the floor, and the cloth blade 24 can polish and clean the floor, and the base end of the hole 26 can be covered with the cleaning member 21, so that the rotating brush 13 When the floor surface is cleaned, the cloth blade 24 of the cleaning member 21 can prevent dust such as lint on the floor surface from being entangled with the proximal end portion of the brush 27.

  As a result, the floor surface can be selected regardless of the type of floor, such as carpets or flooring. Since the dust does not adhere to the base end side of the difficult brush 27 and the maintenance of the brush 27 is facilitated, the usability can be improved.

  In addition, since the cloth blade 24 that polishes and cleans the floor surface is used to prevent the tangling of dust to the brush 27, the configuration can be simplified.

  Further, by projecting the tip of the brush 27 from the hole 26 at the tip of the cloth blade 24, the brush is formed in a V-shaped groove provided on the floor surface such as a flooring, for example, a V-shaped groove. 27 enters and the dust in the V-shaped groove can be scraped to the outside, so that the floor cleaning efficiency can be further improved.

  Furthermore, by folding the tip of the fabric blade 24, for example, compared to the conventional case where the fabric blade is not folded, the tip of the fabric blade 24 is not unraveled even if the fabric blade 24 contacts the floor surface. In addition to being strong, since the contact area with the floor surface increases and the floor surface can be reliably captured when it comes into contact with the floor surface, the polishing effect of the floor surface by the cleaning member 21 can be further improved.

  And since the cloth blade 24 has moisture retention, for example, by adding water, wax or the like to the cloth blade, the polishing effect of the floor surface can be further improved, and the cloth blade 24 with the front end folded back, Water or wax can be held for a long time compared to a cloth blade that does not turn the tip, and the polishing effect can be maintained for a long time.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the structure and effect | action similar to the said 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, a plurality of hole portions 26 are formed in the folded back end portion of the fabric blade 24 to communicate the outside of the fabric blade 24 with the space portion 25. Each of the hole portions 26 is formed in a long hole shape from the front end portion of the cloth blade 24 toward the front side in the rotation direction of the rotary brush 13 of the cloth blade 24. Therefore, the direction perpendicular to the opening surface that is the surface including the inner peripheral edge of the hole 26, that is, the opening direction of the hole 26 is rotated with respect to the protruding direction of the cloth blade 24 that is the protruding direction of the cleaning member 21. The brush 13 is inclined forward in the rotational direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, these hole portions 26 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cloth blade 24, which is the longitudinal direction of the rotating brush 13, so as to be spaced apart from each other at substantially equal intervals. The holes 26 are provided so that the edge on the front side in the rotational direction does not contact the floor surface when the rotary brush 13 rotates and the cleaning member 21 contacts the floor surface.

  Furthermore, the cloth blade 24 is provided with a portion that is located behind the rotating brush 13 and that is located on the rear side of the rotating brush 13 in the rotational direction. Further, the brushes 27 are exposed at the front ends thereof from the respective hole portions 26 to the front side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 13 outside the cloth blade 24, and protrude outward from the opening surface of the hole portions 26. And does not protrude from the tip of the fabric blade 24.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the protruding dimension from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary brush 13 on the front side in the rotational direction of the cloth blade 24 of each cleaning member 21 is L1, the protruding dimension L2 on the rear side in the rotational direction of the cloth blade 24, and When the protruding dimension of the brush 27 is L, L1 <L ≦ L2.

  And when cleaning floor surfaces, such as a carpet, for example, it can clean similarly to the said 1st Example.

  Further, for example, when cleaning a floor surface such as a flooring between boards, as shown in FIG. 11, the cloth blade 24 positioned on the rear side in the rotation direction of the rotary brush 13 is curved along the floor surface to While polishing and cleaning, the tip of the brush 27 comes into contact with the floor surface and scrapes off dust on the floor surface.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the hole 26 of the cloth blade 24 of the cleaning member 21 is cut out from the front end of the cloth blade 24 to the front side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 13, and the brush is formed. The front end portion of 27 is exposed to the outside from the hole portion 26 and is not protruded from the front end portion of the cloth blade 24.

  As a result, since the vicinity of the base end portion of the brush 27 is covered with the cleaning member 21, when the floor surface is cleaned with the rotary brush 13, the cleaning member 21 can prevent the dust on the floor surface from being entangled with the base end portion of the brush 27. While the cloth blade 24 can prevent and clean the floor surface with the brush 27, the cloth blade 24 can polish and clean the floor surface. Since the brush 27 is surely brought into contact with the floor surface, the brush 27 can surely sweep and clean, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved.

  Further, before the floor surface is polished with the cloth blade 24 positioned on the rear side in the rotation direction of the rotary brush 13, the brush 27 positioned on the front side in the rotation direction of the rotary brush 13 with respect to the cloth blade 24 sweeps the dust on the floor surface. It is possible to reliably prevent dust on the floor surface from adhering to the cloth blade 24 on the rear side of the rotating brush 13 in the rotation direction, and to prevent the effect of polishing the floor surface on the cloth blade 24 due to dust adhesion, etc. .

  Further, by projecting the portion of the cloth blade 24 of the cleaning member 21 that is located on the rear side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 13 from the brush 27, when the brush 27 comes into contact with the floor surface, it is more than the brush 27. In order to support the brush 27 in the rotational direction with the cloth blade 24 located on the rear side in the rotational direction of the rotating brush 13, compared to the case where the brush is protruded from the tip of the cloth blade in the radial direction of the brush base 14, It is possible to prevent the brush 27 from becoming weak and to improve the cleaning efficiency, and it is also possible to suppress the bristles of the brush 27 from being scattered by repeated cleaning.

  In each of the above embodiments, the floor brush 9 is provided with a floor surface detecting means for detecting the type of the floor surface, and the rotating brush 13 is rotated according to the type of the floor surface detected by the floor surface detecting means, or You may control to stop.

  Further, at least one engagement recess 15 of the brush base 14 may be provided in accordance with the number of cleaning members 21 attached to the brush base 14.

  Furthermore, a configuration in which the cleaning member 21 and the rubber blade or the like are alternately attached to the engagement recess 15 of the brush base 14 along the circumferential direction of the rotating brush 13 is possible.

  The vacuum cleaner is not limited to the canister type vacuum cleaner, but is an upright type in which the floor brush 9 is directly formed on the lower surface of the vacuum cleaner body 1. In addition, the vacuum cleaner body 1 and the floor brush 9 are integrated. Even a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner or a handy type can be used correspondingly.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the suction inlet body of the vacuum cleaner of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the rotary cleaning body of the suction inlet body of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a rotary cleaning body same as the above. It is a top view which shows the suction inlet body of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows the cleaning member of a rotary cleaning body same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the vacuum cleaner provided with the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the suction inlet body of the vacuum cleaner of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the rotary cleaning body of the suction inlet body of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a rotary cleaning body same as the above. It is a top view which shows the suction inlet body of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows the cleaning member of a rotary cleaning body same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vacuum Cleaner Body 2 Electric Blower 9 Floor Brush as Suction Port
11 Case body
13 Rotating brush as rotating cleaning body
14 Brush stand as mounting member
21 Cleaning material
26 hole
27 Brush

Claims (4)

The case body,
A rotating cleaning body provided on the case body facing the surface to be cleaned;
The rotary cleaning body is
An axial mounting member;
A belt-shaped cleaning member that protrudes along the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting member, and whose tip is folded back,
A hole formed in the cleaning member;
A suction port body comprising: a brush projecting radially outward of the cleaning member from the hole. The suction port body according to claim 1, wherein the hole portion is provided at a distal end portion of the cleaning member. The suction port body according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is provided such that a portion located on the rear side in the rotation direction of the rotary cleaning body protrudes from the brush. A vacuum cleaner body containing an electric blower,
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction port body according to any one of claims 1 to 3 communicating with a suction side of the electric blower.

Images