JP2006081946A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cyclone-type dust collecting vacuum cleaner with high dust separation efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The upper portion of a cyclone dust collection device 100 is a separation chamber 132, and the lower portion is a collection chamber 133. An exhaust pipe 140 is disposed at the center of the separation chamber 132. The air current sucked from a nozzle body 6 by the operation of an electric fan 3 is guided into the separation chamber 132 through a connection pipe 5 in the tangent direction relative to the inner wall of the separation chamber, and circulated inside the separation chamber 132 and the collection chamber 133 so that dust is separated. A shielding member 150 is disposed in the boundary between the separation chamber 132 and the collection chamber 133. The shielding member 150 has a plurality of separation blades 160 extending toward the bottom on a surface facing the bottom of the collection chamber 133. The separation blades 160 are radially disposed toward the inner wall of the collection chamber 133 from the center of the shielding member 150, and prescribed gap is formed between the edge of the separation blades and the inner wall of the collection chamber 133. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration of a cyclone dust collecting device of a vacuum cleaner.

  2. Description of the Related Art A vacuum cleaner equipped with a cyclone dust collecting device that draws dust from a suction port by an air flow generated by the operation of an electric blower and rotates the sucked air flow to separate dust contained in the air flow is widely used. An example of such a cyclone dust collecting type vacuum cleaner can be seen in Patent Document 1. A schematic configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 is shown in FIG. The vacuum cleaner 1 connects a suction port body 6 via a suction hose 4 and a connection pipe 5 to a main body 2 incorporating an electric blower 3. The suction port body 6 has a suction port 7 facing the floor surface f. Between the suction hose 4 and the connection pipe 5, a cyclone dust collecting device 8 having a dust cup 9 is arranged. The inlet part of the cyclone dust collector 8 is connected to the connection pipe 5, and the outlet part is connected to the suction hose 4, whereby the connection pipe 5, the cyclone dust collector 8 and the suction hose 4 are connected from the suction port body 6. An intake passage that reaches the electric blower 3 is formed. A handle portion 35 protrudes from the cyclone dust collecting device 8. At the base of the handle portion 35, an operation portion 36 in which various operation keys, an operation status display portion and the like are arranged is provided.

  In the vacuum cleaner 1 configured as described above, when the electric blower 3 is driven, an air flow is generated in the intake passage, and an air flow including dust is sucked from the suction port 7 of the suction port body 6. The sucked airflow passes through the connecting pipe 5 to the cyclone dust collector 8, where the dust is separated from the airflow. Dust is collected in a dust cup 9 which is dust collecting means, and only airflow is sucked from the suction hose 4 to the electric blower 3 and discharged out of the main body 2. The dust cup 9 has a circular horizontal cross section, and the vertical cross section is tapered toward the opening at the upper end.

  FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a conventional cyclone dust collecting device 8, and shows a case where the longitudinal direction of the connection pipe 5 is vertical. Reference numeral 10 denotes a cyclone body of the cyclone dust collector 8. The cyclone main body 10 has a separation chamber 12 formed in the form of projecting in the lateral direction at the upper end of the connecting pipe 11 connected to the connection pipe 5. The separation chamber 12 has a substantially circular horizontal cross-sectional shape, and an air inlet 13 from the connecting pipe 11 opens in a part of the inner peripheral wall thereof. The inflow port 13 is provided at a position where the air inflow direction is tangential to the inner peripheral wall of the separation chamber 12. An exhaust cylinder 14 is disposed in the center of the separation chamber 12.

  The exhaust tube 14 is a cylindrical member having a closed bottom surface and an open top surface, and a plurality of exhaust ports 15 are provided on the outer peripheral portion. The upper surface opening of the exhaust cylinder 14 communicates with a connecting pipe 16 provided at the upper part of the cyclone body 10. The suction hose 4 is connected to the connecting pipe 16. The lower end of the separation chamber 12 is an opening 17, and the opening 18 at the upper end of the dust cup 9 is airtightly fitted therein.

  The mechanism for holding the dust cup 9 which is dust collecting means is as follows. A downward hook 19 is formed on one side of the dust cup 9 and below the side facing the connection pipe 5, and this is engaged with the hook 20 on the side of the connection pipe 5. In addition to fitting the upper opening 18 to the opening 17 of the separation chamber 12 and engaging the hook 19 with the hook 20 on the lower side, the dust cup 9 is firmly held.

  In order to maintain the holding state, the mounting piece 21 is attached near the upper end of the outer surface of the dust cup 9. The mounting piece 21 is attached to the dust cup 9 via a horizontal shaft 22 and can be rotated in a vertical plane. At the upper end of the mounting piece 21, a locking claw 24 that engages with the convex portion 23 on the outer surface of the cyclone main body 10 is formed. The lower part of the mounting piece 21 is a pressing part 25 for pressing with a finger. A compression coil spring 26 is inserted between the pressing portion 25 and the outer surface of the dust cup 9 to give the mounting piece 21 a rotational biasing force that engages the locking claw 24 with the convex portion 23.

  The opposing surfaces of the locking claw 24 and the convex portion 23 are inclined surfaces with the locking claw 24 side facing upward and the convex portion 23 side facing downward. Therefore, when the dust cup 9 is pressed against the cyclone main body 10, the inclined surfaces of the locking claw 24 and the convex portion 23 come into contact with each other, and the mounting piece 21 rotates against the urging force of the compression coil spring 26. When the locking claw 24 gets over the convex portion 23, both engage with each other, and the engaged state is maintained by the compression coil spring 26. If it will be in this state, even if it tries to pull out the dust cup 9 from the cyclone main body 10, it cannot be pulled out. The dust cup 9 can be removed by pressing the pressing portion 25 and releasing the engagement of the locking claw 24 with respect to the convex portion 23.

When airflow is sucked into the cyclone dust collector 8, the airflow flows from the connecting pipe 11 through the inlet 13 into the separation chamber 12 in the tangential direction along the inner peripheral wall of the separation chamber 12, and the exhaust pipe A high-speed swirling airflow is formed around 14. The dust contained in the airflow is separated from the airflow by the centrifugal force accompanying the high-speed turning, and falls into the dust cup 9 and accumulates. The airflow swirling around the exhaust tube 14 enters the exhaust tube 14 through the exhaust port 15 and is sucked into the suction hose 4.
JP 2000-166829 A ([0023]-[0037], FIG. 2-5)

  In the cyclone dust collecting type vacuum cleaner as described above, increasing the dust separation efficiency from the airflow is a big issue. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cyclone dust collecting type vacuum cleaner that can improve dust separation efficiency by a new structure.

  (1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a cyclone dust collecting device in which an upper part is a separation chamber and a lower part is a collection chamber, and an exhaust pipe is arranged at the center of the separation chamber. Dust is sucked in from the suction port by the air flow, and the sucked air flow is introduced into the separation chamber of the cyclone dust collector in a tangential direction with respect to the inner peripheral wall via the intake passage communicating with the suction port. In a vacuum cleaner that swirls an airflow in the accumulation chamber to separate dust and accumulates the separated dust in the accumulation chamber, a shielding member is disposed at a boundary between the separation chamber and the accumulation chamber, and the shielding member is A shape in which a predetermined gap is generated between the outer periphery and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber is provided, and a plurality of separation blades extending toward the bottom surface are provided on a surface facing the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber, and these separation blades are shielded. Part Together are a radially disposed toward the inner wall of the integrated chamber from the center of, are characterized by a shape in which a predetermined gap is generated between the edge and the integrated indoor wall.

  According to this configuration, dust is separated when the swirling airflow generated in the separation chamber and entering the accumulation chamber through the gap between the shielding member and the accumulation chamber wall collides with the separation blade in the accumulation chamber and changes its direction. This improves the dust separation efficiency.

  (2) Further, according to the present invention, in the electric vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, the accumulation chamber has a shape that is narrowed in an inverted truncated cone shape from the entrance toward the bottom surface, and the separation blade has a shape that conforms to the shape. It is a feature.

  According to this configuration, the accumulation chamber has a shape constricted in an inverted frustoconical shape from the inlet toward the bottom surface, and the separation blade also has a shape conforming to the shape. Is maintained and the reduction of centrifugal force is covered. Thereby, the centrifugal separation function is maintained over a wide area of the accumulation chamber, and the dust separation efficiency is improved.

  (3) Further, according to the present invention, in the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, one of the separation blades has a narrower gap with the accumulation chamber wall than the other separation blades.

  According to this configuration, dust is caught and stays in a narrow gap formed between one of the separation blades and the accumulation chamber wall, and accumulation of dust is propagated using this as a core. Thereby, dust forms a mass with a high density, and the dust accumulation capability of the accumulation chamber is improved.

  (4) According to the present invention, in the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, the accumulation chamber wall located on the opposite side of the separation blade having a narrow gap with the accumulation chamber wall is a see-through portion, and dust disposal is performed on the see-through portion. It is characterized by providing a guide mark.

  According to this configuration, the amount of dust can be observed at locations other than the location where dust has accumulated and accumulated, and the dust disposal time can be determined using the dust disposal guide mark, thus reducing the discrepancy between the judgment and the actual amount of accumulation. be able to.

  According to the present invention, the airflow sucked from the suction port is introduced into the separation chamber of the cyclone dust collector in a tangential direction with respect to the inner peripheral wall, and the airflow is swirled in the separation chamber and the accumulation chamber below the dust collecting dust. In the vacuum cleaner to be separated, a shielding member is disposed at the boundary between the separation chamber and the accumulation chamber. The shielding member has a shape in which a predetermined gap is formed between the outer periphery thereof and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber. Since a plurality of radially arranged separation blades extending toward the bottom surface are provided on the surface facing the bottom surface, a predetermined gap is generated between the edge of these separation blades and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber. When the swirling airflow generated in the separation chamber and entering the accumulation chamber through the gap between the shielding member and the accumulation chamber wall collides with the separation blade in the accumulation chamber and changes its direction, dust is separated, and dust separation efficiency is improved.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Since these embodiments are common in many parts to the conventional structure introduced in FIGS. 10 and 11 in the basic configuration as a vacuum cleaner, the same reference numerals are given to the common components as they are, and the description will be made. Is omitted.

  1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In the vacuum cleaner 1A of the first embodiment, a cyclone dust collecting device 100 is mounted on a main body 2A. The main body 2A has a slightly flat shape, and a connection port 80 of the suction hose 4 is provided on the front surface. A pair of left and right ducts 81 and 82 extend obliquely rearward from the upper surface front portion of the main body 2A. A support portion 83 rises from a position on the rear side of the upper surface of the main body 2 </ b> A so as to be inclined slightly rearward, and the ducts 81 and 82 merge with the support portion 83. The cyclone dust collector 100 is supported on the front surface of the support portion 83 in a form sandwiched between ducts 81 and 82. Thus, the ducts 81 and 82 and the support part 83 surrounding the cyclone dust collector 100 prevent the cyclone dust collector 100 from dropping off or being damaged when the vacuum cleaner 1A hits furniture or falls. .

  The inside of the ducts 81 and 82 is an air passage. The duct 81 communicates with the connection port 80 and constitutes a part of the intake passage. The duct 82 communicates with the suction side of the electric blower 3 built in the main body 2A. Reference numeral 84 denotes an exhaust port formed at the upper rear portion of the main body 2 </ b> A, and communicates with the discharge side of the electric blower 3. Reference numeral 85 denotes a cord reel. The cord reel 85 is installed in the exhaust flow from the electric blower 3, thereby actively cooling the cord reel 8 by air and preventing the cord from being overheated by the current flowing through the electric blower 3. The main body 2A is movably supported on the floor surface f by a pair of left and right large-diameter front wheels 86 and one free rear wheel 87.

  Next, the structure of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. Each of these drawings illustrates each component in a state where the axial direction of the cyclone dust collector 100 is vertical. The cyclone dust collector 100 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is arranged with its axis line directed vertically, and is divided into an upper dust collector main body 101 and a lower dust cup 102.

  The dust collector main body 101 has a shape in which a flat cup is turned upside down, and a ceiling plate 111 is fixed to a place that is slightly inserted into the lower surface opening 110. An outlet 113 that communicates with the space 112 above the ceiling plate 111 is formed on the side surface of the dust collector main body 101. The outlet 113 is joined to a connection pipe 88 provided inside the support portion 83. The connecting pipe 88 communicates with the duct 82, and a seal 89 made of an elastic material such as rubber is provided at the end for airtight joining to the outlet 113.

  The edge of the dust cup 102 is inserted into the lower surface opening 110 of the dust collector main body 101. A seal 114 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fixed inside the lower surface opening 110, and the dust cup 102 is brought into contact with the dust collector main body 101 by pressing the edge of the dust cup 102 against the seal 114. Join hermetically. The dust cup 102 is connected to the dust collector main body 101 by a connecting means such as a screw or a clamp so as not to drop off.

  When the cyclone dust collector 100 is seated on the upper surface of the main body 2A in a state where the dust collector main body 101 and the dust cup 102 are connected and pressed against the support portion 83, the latch 115 attached to the dust collector main body 101 is supported by the support portion 83. The cyclone dust collecting device 100 is connected to the support portion 83. The latch 115 is attached so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane by a shaft 116, and is pushed up to an engagement position by a compression coil spring 117. The engagement can be released by pushing a push button 118 provided on the latch 115.

  When the cyclone dust collector 100 is connected to the support portion 83, the outlet 113 is joined to the connection pipe 88 through the seal 89 as described above, and the inlet 130 provided on the side surface of the dust cup 102 is connected to the inside of the support 83. It joins to the connecting pipe 91 provided in the. The connecting pipe 91 communicates with the duct 81, and a seal 92 made of an elastic material such as rubber is provided at an end thereof so as to be airtightly connected to the inlet 130. The inlet 130 is provided at a position and an angle that are tangent to the inner wall of the dust cup 102.

  Inside the main body 2A, the connection port 80 and the inflow port 130 are located at remote locations. Therefore, the intake path during this time can take a large R even if there is a bend (bend), and the resistance to airflow can be reduced. The outlet 113 and the suction side of the electric blower 3 are also far apart, and the resistance to the airflow can be reduced for the same reason as described above.

  The dust cup 102 has a handle 131 on the outer surface, and the space inside the dust cup 102 is vertically divided into a separation chamber 132 and an accumulation chamber 133 at the bottom. Although the separation chamber 132 has a cylindrical shape, the accumulation chamber 133 has an inverted truncated cone shape whose diameter decreases as it approaches the bottom surface. The inlet 130 belongs to the separation chamber 132.

  An exhaust tube 140 is disposed in the center of the separation chamber 132. The exhaust tube 140 is a cylindrical member having a closed bottom surface and an open top surface. A lattice-shaped exhaust port 141 defined by a vertical beam 142 and a horizontal beam 143 is provided on the peripheral wall. A filter 144 woven with synthetic fibers such as nylon and made into a fine mesh is attached to the exhaust port 141. For the deposition, the filter 144 is positioned outside the vertical beam 142 and the horizontal beam 143.

  The upper surface opening of the exhaust tube 140 is inserted into a connecting pipe 145 provided in the center of the ceiling plate 111 so as to communicate the space 112 and the separation chamber 132. The upper end of the exhaust tube 140 is a male threaded portion 146, and the exhaust tube 140 is suspended from the ceiling plate 111 by screwing it into a connecting pipe 145 (here, the inner surface is a female threaded portion). It is attached. A seal 147 made of an elastic material such as rubber is inserted between the exhaust tube 140 and the ceiling plate 111 to prevent air from leaking from the space between the male screw and the female screw toward the space 112.

  The lower end of the exhaust tube 140 is also a male screw portion 148, and the shielding member 150 is attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 6, the shielding member 150 has a disk shape, and a connecting ring 151 having an internal thread portion on the inner surface is formed at the center. The shielding member 150 is attached to the exhaust tube 140 by screwing the connecting ring 151 into the male screw portion 147. In the attached state, the shielding member 150 is located at the boundary between the separation chamber 132 and the accumulation chamber 133.

  The diameter of the shielding member 150 is smaller than the inner diameter of the separation chamber 132 or the inner diameter of the inlet portion of the accumulation chamber 133, and a gap 152 is generated between the outer periphery of the shielding member 150 and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber 133. A loop-shaped barrier 153 that protrudes toward the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133 and a loop-shaped barrier 154 that protrudes toward the separation chamber 132 are formed at the edge of the shielding member 150. A plurality of ribs 155 are formed on the outer periphery of the shielding member 150 at predetermined intervals. The ribs 155 are provided so as to be inclined with respect to the axis of the shielding member 150.

  A plurality of separation blades 160 extending toward the bottom surface are provided on the surface of the shielding member 150 on the side facing the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133. The separation blade 160 may be integrally molded with the shielding member 150 or may be separately molded. In the first embodiment, four separation blades 160 are prepared as shown in FIG. 5, and these are arranged radially from the center of the shielding member 150 toward the inner wall of the collection chamber 133. A gap 161 is formed between the edge of the separation blade 160 and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber 133, and a gap 162 is formed between the lower end of the separation blade 160 and the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133.

  The accumulation chamber 133 has an inverted frustoconical shape as described above, but the shape of the separation blade 160 is similar to this, and the radial distance (distance from the central axis of the shielding member 150 to the edge of the blade) is large in the upper part. This is smaller at the bottom. In order to obtain such a shape, the edge of the separation blade 160 may be linearly cut obliquely, but in the first embodiment, the radial distance is changed stepwise to form a staircase shape.

  As can be seen in FIG. 5, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the separation blade 160 is not a straight line. It is curved in an arc shape so that the windward side is convex and the leeward side is concave due to the swirl airflow described later. Of these separation blades 160, only one (the reference numeral “160a” is attached for distinction from others) is wide, and the gap 161 with the inner wall of the accumulation chamber 133 is narrow. A vertical rib 134 is formed on the inner wall of the accumulation chamber 133 that is on the windward side of the separation blade 160a.

  There are screw portions at the upper end and the lower end of the exhaust tube 140, respectively, and both of them reach the limit of screwing at a constant angle. That is, when the exhaust tube 140 is properly attached to the ceiling plate 111 and the shielding member 150 is properly attached to the exhaust tube 140, the separation blade 160 a is set at a certain angular position in the accumulation chamber 133.

  Of the walls of the accumulation chamber 133, the wall located on the side opposite to the separation blade 160 a is referred to as a see-through portion 135. In order to realize this, the entire dust cup 102 may be formed of a transparent plastic. However, only the transparent portion 135 may be a transparent plastic and the remaining portion may be an opaque plastic. Absent. A dust disposal guide mark 136 is provided at a predetermined height of the fluoroscopic part 135. In the first embodiment, a horizontal ridge is formed on the outer surface of the dust cup 102 as a mark.

  A cleaning tool 170 is provided outside the exhaust tube 140. The cleaning tool 170 has brush hairs 171 implanted around the inside of the ring-shaped body, and the tip of the brush hair 171 is in contact with the filter 144 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the exhaust tube 140. It is arranged to be located. A rod 172 protrudes upward from the cleaning tool 170, and this rod 172 extends upward through the case portion of the ceiling plate 111 and the dust collector main body 101, and is connected to the push button 173. The push button 173 is always pushed upward by the compression coil spring 174.

  Next, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1A will be described. When the electric blower 3 is driven by operating the key of the operation unit 36 with the cyclone dust collecting device 100 set on the support unit 83, an air flow is generated in the intake passage, and dust is contained from the suction port 7 of the suction port body 6. The airflow is sucked. The air flow is introduced into the separation chamber 132 from the inlet 130 through the connection pipe 5, the suction hose 4, the duct 81, and the connection pipe 91. As described above, the inflow port 130 is provided at a position and an angle so as to be tangent to the inner wall of the dust cup 102, so that the airflow entering the separation chamber 132 swirls at a high speed along the inner wall of the separation chamber 132. To do. The turning direction is counterclockwise when viewed from above. While turning, the dust in the airflow is pushed toward the inner wall of the separation chamber 132 by centrifugal force.

  The swirling airflow generated in the separation chamber 132 descends and enters the accumulation chamber 133 through the gap 152. As the air stream continues to swirl, dust is increasingly centrifuged. The accumulation chamber 133 has a smaller diameter at the bottom, which brings about the following effects.

The centrifugal force Z generated in the swirling dust is proportional to the dust mass m and the circumferential speed v2, and inversely proportional to the swirling radius r. That is, the following equation is established.
Z = m · v2 / r

  As the swirling airflow descends, the circumferential velocity v2 decreases, but this amount is compensated for by decreasing r. That is, the decrease in the centrifugal force Z can be reduced.

  The airflow that swirls and descends as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 4 turns upward as it approaches the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133. When the airflow swirls around the separation blade 160 in this way, the airflow changes direction when the airflow collides with the separation blade 160, and dust is further separated at that time. Dust separated from the airflow by centrifugal force or by colliding with the separation blade 160 falls to the side near the side wall of the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133 and accumulates.

  The accumulated dust follows the swirling airflow and swirls in the gap 161. However, since the gap 161 is narrow at the separation blade 160a, the dust is caught and stays there. Accumulation of dust grows with the staying dust as a core.

  Since the rib 134 protrudes from the inner wall of the accumulation chamber 133 on the windward side of the separation blade 160a, air currents meander at this location, and dust can be efficiently separated from the air current. Also, dust can be quickly accumulated at this location.

  The whirling airflow that has turned upward near the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber 133 rises through the inside of the downward swirling airflow. The dust accumulated at the bottom of the accumulation chamber 133 tends to lift up following the upward swirling airflow, but the shape of the separation blade 160, which has a larger radial distance toward the top, brakes the movement of the dust mass. By making the separation blade 160 stepped, its function is further enhanced.

  The ascending swirling airflow approaches the shielding member 150 as indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 4 and returns to the separation chamber 132 through the edge of the shielding member 150. When the edge of the shielding member 150 is crossed, the swirling airflow temporarily turns downward as indicated by an arrow C due to the presence of the barrier 153. By this change of direction, dust (particularly a part of the accumulated dust) following the swirling airflow. ), And the dust is prevented from rising beyond the shielding member 150.

  The upward swirling airflow that is turned downward by the barrier 153 immediately turns upward, passes through the outer periphery of the shielding member 150 and enters the separation chamber 132, but at this time, the upward swirling airflow collides with the rib 155. The rib 155 is inclined so as to block the upward swirling airflow, and the upward swirling airflow collides with the rib 155 and changes its direction, and dust that has followed the airflow is separated at that time.

  Torque is generated in the shielding member 150 when the swirling airflow collides with the rib 155 and the separation blade 160. Since the torque is just the screw tightening direction, the connection between the shielding member 150 and the exhaust pipe 140 and the connection between the exhaust pipe 140 and the ceiling plate 111 are not loosened.

  Not all of the swirling airflow generated in the separation chamber 132 enters the accumulation chamber 133, and a part of the swirling airflow remains in the separation chamber 132. The airflow staying in the separation chamber 132 and swirling on the shielding member 150 hits the barrier 154 and becomes an upward airflow as indicated by an arrow D. Therefore, even if dust, especially long and continuous dust, follows the ascending swirling airflow returning to the separation chamber 132 through the outer periphery of the shielding member 150, it is caused by the upward airflow indicated by the arrow D to the exhaust pipe 140. The approach is blocked, and the exhaust tube 140 is not attached or wrapped around.

  The swirling airflow returned to the separation chamber 132 gradually approaches the exhaust pipe 140 while reducing the turning radius, and is finally sucked into the exhaust pipe 140 from the exhaust port 141. Even if dust remains in the airflow, it is captured by the filter 144. The airflow that has flowed into the exhaust tube 140 is sucked into the electric blower 3 through the space 112, the outlet 113, the connection pipe 88, and the duct 82, and is discharged from the exhaust port 84.

  The state in which dust is accumulated in the accumulation chamber 133 is observed from the see-through portion 135, and when the accumulation amount reaches the dust disposal guide mark 136, the waste is discarded. If the dust disposal guide mark 136 is on the separation blade 160a at this time, this is a place where dust is particularly high and piles up. Therefore, it is determined that the accumulation of dust has reached the dust disposal guide mark, and the dust cup 102 is removed. Although it is good, there may be a situation where only a small amount of dust has actually accumulated, but since it was placed on the side opposite to the separation blade 160a, the difference between the actual accumulation amount and the judgment viewed from the outside is reduced. .

  When throwing away the garbage, the push button 118 of the latch 115 is pushed to remove the cyclone dust collector 100 from the main body 2A, and the dust cup 102 is detached from the dust collector main body 101 on a suitable waste container. Then, the dust cup 102 is tilted by holding the handle 131 and the dust is discharged. Since the handle 131 is on the side where the inlet 130 exists, dust does not spill from the inlet 130 even if the dust cup 102 is tilted with the handle 131 held. When the dust cup 102 is emptied, the dust cup 102 is coupled to the dust collector main body 101 again, and the cyclone dust collector 100 is coupled to the main body 2A to prepare for the next use.

  Dust in the airflow is mostly separated by centrifugal force and remains in the accumulation chamber 133, but some of the dust is still captured by the filter 144. For this reason, when it is used for a long time, dust gradually adheres to the outer surface of the filter 144, and the suction force decreases. Therefore, when the filter 144 is clogged due to the adhesion of dust, the cleaning tool 170 is moved to eliminate the clogging. When the push button 173 is pushed down, the cleaning tool 170 slides parallel to the axis of the exhaust tube 140, and dust is rubbed off by the brush bristles 171 contacting the filter 144. After the push button 173 is fully lowered, when the finger is released from the push button 173, the cleaning tool 170 is raised by the compression coil spring 174 and returned to the original position. This movement also rubs off dust from the filter 144. In this way, the cleaning tool 170 is moved up and down several times to clean the exhaust tube 140.

  When dust enters the eyes of the filter 144 and cannot be removed by the cleaning tool 170, the dust cup 102 is removed, the shielding member 150 is separated from the exhaust pipe 140, and then the exhaust pipe 140 is removed from the ceiling plate 111. Separate and wash the exhaust tube 140 with water to completely remove dust. Thereafter, the exhaust pipe 140 is dried and set on the ceiling plate 111 again, and the shielding member 150 and the dust cup 102 are also reattached as before.

  Since it is difficult for humans to determine the decrease in the suction force, a notification means is provided for automatically notifying when the suction force decreases. In the first embodiment, a notification lamp 93 is provided at the front of the main body 2 </ b> A, at a location easily visible on the connection port 80. When the electric blower 3 is operated in a state where a large amount of dust adheres to the surface of the filter 144 and the ventilation resistance is increased, the air pressure between the exhaust tube 140 and the electric blower 3 is lowered than usual. Moreover, the load of the electric blower 3 is reduced, and the current flowing through the electric blower 3 is reduced. This pressure drop or current reduction is detected by a sensor, and the notification lamp 93 is turned on.

  Now, in a state where the filter 144 is attached to the outside of the vertical beam 142 and the horizontal beam 143, the shapes of the vertical beam 142 and the horizontal beam 143 inevitably appear on the outer surface of the filter 144. The shape of the crosspiece affects the movement of the cleaning tool. That is, as in the first embodiment, the cleaning tool 170 is disposed so as to lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the exhaust pipe 140, and the cleaning tool 170 is slid in parallel with the axis of the exhaust pipe 170. When the cleaning tool 170 gets over the cross rail 143, resistance increases at a stretch and it becomes difficult to move. Therefore, in the second and third embodiments of the present invention, an improved version of the crosspiece structure is proposed.

  FIG. 8 shows an exhaust pipe 140a according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The horizontal rail 143a of the exhaust tube 140a is not present in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the exhaust tube 140a, but is present in a plane obliquely intersecting the axis. Therefore, when the cleaning tool 170 is slid parallel to the axis of the exhaust tube 140, only a part of the cross rail 143a is matched with the brush bristles 171 and the matching point moves while changing the angle as the cleaning tool 170 is slid. It will be. That is, the cleaning tool 170 receives resistance little by little from the horizontal rail 143a during the moving stroke, and a large load is not generated at a specific point, so that the cleaning tool 170 can be moved smoothly.

  FIG. 9 shows an exhaust pipe 140b according to a third embodiment of the present invention. A cleaning tool 170a is provided outside the exhaust tube 140b so as to be positioned within a plane including the axis of the exhaust tube 140b and to rotate around the exhaust tube 140b. The brush bristles 171 of the cleaning tool 170a are arranged in parallel to the axis of the exhaust pipe 140b and move in a plane perpendicular to the axis. In this configuration, the vertical rail serves as a resistance against the movement of the brush bristles 171. Therefore, the vertical beam 142a is formed in a shape that obliquely intersects the axis of the exhaust tube 140b. Thereby, the resistance of the vertical bar 142a is not applied to the cleaning tool 170a at a time, and the cleaning tool 170a can be smoothly rotated.

  In the second and third embodiments, the “surface that obliquely intersects the axis” does not necessarily have to be a plane. Even if the surface is curved or wavy, and as a result, the crosspiece geometric shape deviates from a simple helical line, the object is achieved. Further, in the second embodiment, only the horizontal beam is disposed obliquely, and in the third embodiment, only the vertical beam is disposed obliquely. However, a configuration in which both the horizontal beam and the vertical beam are inclined is possible.

  While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The present invention can be widely used in a vacuum cleaner provided with a cyclone dust collector.

The whole side view of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. Side view of the main part of the vacuum cleaner A perspective view of the main part of the vacuum cleaner Longitudinal sectional view of the cyclone dust collector installed in the vacuum cleaner Cross-sectional view cut along line MM in FIG. The perspective view of the shielding member in the said cyclone dust collector Similarly, a longitudinal sectional view of the exhaust pipe in the cyclone dust collector Vertical section of the exhaust stack according to the second embodiment of the present invention Vertical section of the exhaust stack according to the third embodiment of the present invention Overall side view of conventional cyclone dust collection type vacuum cleaner Vertical section of a conventional cyclone dust collector

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A Vacuum cleaner 2A Main body 3 Electric blower 4 Suction hose 5 Connection pipe 6 Suction port body 7 Suction port 100 Cyclone dust collector 101 Dust collector main body 102 Dust cup 132 Separation chamber 133 Accumulation chamber 135 Visible part 136 Dust disposal standard mark 140 Exhaust tube 150 Shield member 152 Gap 160, 160a Separating blade 161 Gap

Claims (4)

The upper part is a separation chamber, the lower part is a collection chamber, and the center of the separation chamber is equipped with a cyclone dust collector with an exhaust pipe. Dust is sucked from the inlet by the air flow generated by the operation of the electric blower. It introduces into the separation chamber of the cyclone dust collector through the intake passage communicating with the suction port in a tangential direction with respect to its inner peripheral wall, and the dust is separated by rotating the air flow in the separation chamber and the accumulation chamber. In the vacuum cleaner that collects the separated dust in the accumulation chamber,
A shielding member is disposed at the boundary between the separation chamber and the accumulation chamber, and the shielding member has a shape in which a predetermined gap is generated between the outer periphery and the inner wall of the accumulation chamber, and a surface facing the bottom surface of the accumulation chamber, A plurality of separation blades extending toward the bottom surface are provided. These separation blades are arranged radially from the center of the shielding member toward the inner wall of the accumulation chamber, and a predetermined gap is provided between the edge and the accumulation chamber wall. A vacuum cleaner characterized by having a shape that creates a gap.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the accumulation chamber has a shape that is narrowed in an inverted frustoconical shape from an inlet toward a bottom surface, and the separation blade has a shape that conforms to the shape.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the separation blades has a narrower gap with the accumulation chamber wall than other separation blades.   The accumulation chamber wall located on the opposite side of the separation blade having a narrow gap with the accumulation chamber wall is a see-through portion, and a dust disposal guide mark is provided on the see-through portion. Electric vacuum cleaner.

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