JP2007125294A - Dust collector and vacuum cleaner including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner with a dust collector for removing dust on a filter with a simple structure, in the dust collector having a double filter structure attachable to/detachable from a cleaner body. <P>SOLUTION: The dust collector 30a filters the dust sucked from a suction port with air by double filters 34a and 34b provided in a dust collection container to separate the air from the dust; the air is exhausted from an exhaust port 14, and the dust is collected in the dust collection container. The dust collector has a cleaning member 71 making contact with an inner filter 34b as a cleaning means for an inner filter 34b, and the cleaning member impacts on and vibrates the inner filter 34b. One end of the cleaning member 71 is provided with an operating portion 73 positioned outside the dust collection container so as to be manually operated, and the operating portion 73 is operated to turn the cleaning member 71. Therefore, the inner filter 34b is applied with an impact to shake off the stuck dust. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust collector and a vacuum cleaner including the dust collector.

  In conventional vacuum cleaners, a dust collector is arranged in the suction path that connects the suction port and the electric blower, and dust and dust are separated from air by the filter of this dust collector, and only the air is removed from the vacuum cleaner body. To discharge. If the filter is clogged with dust or dirt, the suction efficiency is deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the filter.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cyclone dust collector of a vacuum cleaner in which a rotary filter is provided in a filter assembly, and the rotary filter is automatically hit by a dust hitting member while being automatically rotated by air. .
JP-A-2004-249068

  By the way, although the rotary filter of patent document 1 rotates with the flow of air, since the dust hitting member is contacting the rotary filter, a considerable big rotational force is required. However, since the rotary filter is rotated by the flow of air, sufficient rotational force cannot be obtained, and dust attached to the rotary filter cannot be knocked down sufficiently. Further, since the dust tapping member is a system for tapping off dust adhering to the filter from the outside, the double filter including the inner layer filter and the outer layer filter is not suitable for cleaning the inner layer filter.

  An object of this invention is to provide the dust collector which can remove reliably the dust adhering to the inner layer side also in the filter of a double filter structure with a simple mechanism, and a vacuum cleaner provided with the same.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention filters the dust sucked together with air from the suction port through a cylindrical filter provided in the dust collection container, discharges the air from the exhaust port, The dust collector for collecting dust is characterized in that a cleaning member is provided for removing dust adhering to the filter by rotating around the axis inside the filter.

  According to the above configuration, the dust attached to the filter is knocked down by the rotation of the cleaning member from the inside of the filter, so that the inner layer filter of the double filter including the inner layer filter and the outer layer filter can be cleaned.

  This cleaning member may be rotated using power from a drive source such as an electric motor. However, an operation means for manually rotating the cleaning member from the outside of the dust collecting container is provided, and the cleaning member is manually rotated. You can also

  According to the above configuration, the user can rotate the cleaning member by manual operation from the outside of the dust collecting container, so that a driving source such as a motor can be omitted, and a dust collector with a lightweight and simple mechanism can be provided. Can be provided.

  Further, in the present invention, the filter is attached to an exhaust pipe provided in the dust collecting container, the cleaning member is composed of a shaft member whose central part in the axial direction protrudes in a crank shape, and both end shaft parts thereof are the exhaust pipe. It is characterized by being rotatably supported at the center of the inner cylinder.

  According to the above configuration, since the cleaning member is disposed inside the exhaust tube, the cleaning member is not exposed to the outside of the exhaust tube, and the cleaning member does not hinder the collection of dust in the dust collecting container.

  Further, in the present invention, the dust collecting container is provided with a case in which a dust collecting chamber is formed inside and a lid having an exhaust pipe inside that can be opened and closed, and the operation means can be operated from the outside. A manual operation portion that penetrates the bottom of the case and is rotatably supported on the bottom of the case, and a rotation operation force from the manual operation portion is provided at the end of the exhaust tube so as to transmit the rotation operation force to the shaft portion of the cleaning member. And a connected portion.

  According to the above configuration, the cleaning member is rotatably supported by the exhaust pipe attached to the inside of the lid, and when operating the cleaning member from the case side separable from the lid, the manual operation portion on the case side is connected via the connecting portion. Since the rotational force is transmitted to the shaft portion of the cleaning member, the cleaning member can be rotated even from the outside of the dust collecting container.

  In this case, the connecting portion can be operated from the end portion of the exhaust stack with the lid opened. According to this configuration, the connecting part is provided with not only a connecting function for transmitting the rotational operating force of the manual operating part, but also an operating function for operating itself, so that the filter can be used even when the lid of the dust collecting container is separated. Can be cleaned.

  Various filters can be adopted as the filter. When a pleat filter is used, the rotation locus of the cleaning member is set larger than the inner diameter of the pleat filter, and the cleaning member rotates around its axis so that the pleat filter is rotated. The dust attached to the pleated filter in contact with the pleated filter can be knocked down.

  According to the above configuration, when the cleaning member is rotated, a part of the cleaning member comes into contact with the unevenness of the pleated filter, and dust attached to the filter can be effectively knocked down.

  A double filter structure in which this filter is an inner layer filter and a mesh outer layer filter is provided on the outer side thereof can be employed.

  According to the above configuration, even if the filter has a double structure that can remove even fine dust, the dust attached to the filter can be knocked off by the rotational force of the cleaning member.

  In this case, a brush for cleaning the outer surface of the outer layer filter is provided, and the outer layer filter can also be cleaned.

  As described above, according to the present invention, dust adhering to the filter is knocked down by the rotation of the cleaning member from the inside of the filter. Therefore, even in the double filter including the inner layer filter and the outer layer filter, the inner layer filter can be cleaned. It becomes possible.

[First Embodiment]
As an embodiment of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, a self-propelled cleaner that moves by itself in a space surrounded by an obstacle such as a wall of a room, furniture, or a bed will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the self-propelled cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body 10 that includes an electric blower 13, a suction port body 20 that sucks dust and dirt on the floor, and a vacuum cleaner body 10. The dust collector 30a is detachably mounted.

  The suction port body 20 is disposed on the bottom surface on the front side of the cleaner body 10 and is connected to the cleaner body 10 by a connecting shaft 10a whose vertical direction is the axial direction, and within a range of about 30 degrees around the connecting shaft 10a. Can be rotated. Further, the suction port body 20 is connected to a bendable suction hose (not shown) on the cleaner body 10 side, and dust, dust, and the like are removed from the suction port body 20 by a suction force generated by driving the electric blower 13. The vacuum cleaner main body side can be sucked into the dust collector 30a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vacuum cleaner main body 10 has an accommodation recess 15 for accommodating a capsule-shaped dust collector 30 a formed on the upper surface of an oval casing, and the dust collector 30 a is attached to and detached from the accommodation recess 15. Can be installed freely. A bumper 12 is attached to the front side of the casing to mitigate an impact when it collides with an obstacle or a wall surface.

  On the rear side of the cleaner body 10, an electric blower 13 is provided. A driving wheel 41 as a moving device for moving in the cleaning space is provided on the side of the cleaner body 10. The control unit 60 including a control board and the like for controlling the driving of the drive wheels 41 and the electric blower 13 is disposed in the lower space portion of the housing recess 15. Further, a detection sensor 50 that faces the window of the bumper 12 and detects surrounding obstacles is provided. The bumper 12 is held so as to protrude to the front side of the cleaner body 10 by a spring (not shown) in order to reduce the impact.

  The drive wheels 41 rotate independently on the left and right sides, and can drive and turn straight by controlling each drive wheel. In addition, an auxiliary wheel 42 is provided in the suction port body 20. The auxiliary wheel 42 is supported so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis so that the cleaner body 10 can smoothly travel in accordance with the movement of the drive wheel 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the suction port body 20 is formed with a main suction port 21a, a front suction port 21b, and a side suction port 21c for sucking dust and dirt. The main suction port 21a and the front suction port 21b are openings that communicate with a suction passage 25 formed inside the suction port body 20, and the side suction port 21c is an L-shaped nozzle made of rubber or the like. Is done.

  The main suction port 21 a is formed through the wall surface of the recess 24 provided at the center of the bottom surface of the suction port body 20. The recess 24 is rotatably provided with a rotary brush 23 that scrapes off dust, dust, and the like from the floor surface. The rotation of the rotary brush 23 allows the dust, dust, and the like scraped up to be sucked from the main suction port 21a. It has become.

  The side suction ports 21c are provided on the left and right sides of the suction port body 20 and communicate with the recess 24, and allow dust, dust, and the like sucked from the side suction ports 21c to flow into the suction path 25 from the main suction port 21a. I am doing so.

  Further, the front suction port 21 b is formed on the bottom surface on the front side of the suction port body 20. On the front side, an opening / closing part 22 rotatably provided around the shaft 22a of the suction port body 20 is provided, and when the bumper 12 hits an obstacle or the like and is pushed backward on the front surface of the opening / closing part 22 A contact portion 22b that contacts the bumper is formed to protrude. When the bumper 12 hits the abutting part 22b, the opening / closing part 22 is opened and rotated, and when the bumper 12 is separated from the abutting part 22b, the opening / closing part 22 is set to be closed and rotated by its own weight. The front suction port 21b is opened and closed.

  The dust collector 30a is detachably housed in a housing recess 15 formed on the upper surface of the cleaner body 10, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, from the suction port body 20 to the dust collecting chamber 32. The intake air containing dust, dust and the like sucked in is swirled in the dust collection chamber 32 to separate the air and dust by the filters 34 a and 34 b of the exhaust tube 34, and the sucked air is moved out of the dust collection chamber 32. It is a cyclone type dust collector that discharges.

  The dust collection container forming the dust collection chamber 32 is formed in a capsule shape by a semi-cup-shaped lid 33c and a case 33d being screwed together at the opening edges. Further, an exhaust pipe 34 including two filters 34 a and 34 b for filtering dust, dust and the like from the air sucked into the dust collecting chamber 32 is provided in the dust collecting container.

  The exhaust cylinder 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed in the center of the dust collection chamber 32. One end of the exhaust tube 34 is fixed to the inside of the half cup-shaped lid 33c by screws. The other end of the exhaust tube 34 protrudes from the opening edge of the lid 33c toward the case 33d, and makes elastic contact with the ring-shaped elastic member 50 on the bottom surface of the case 33d when the dust collecting container is closed.

  An opening for exhausting air from the dust collecting chamber 32 is formed in the peripheral wall of the other end of the exhaust tube 34, and a cylindrical outer layer filter 34a is fitted on the outer surface side of the opening, and a cylindrical shape is fitted inside the opening. An inner layer filter 34b is arranged to form a double filter structure.

  The outer layer filter 34a is formed in a cylindrical shape and a mesh shape and collects large dust, dust, and the like, and is detachably fixed to the outer surface of the exhaust tube 34.

  The inner layer filter 34b is for collecting fine dust, dust, and the like, and is constituted by a cylindrical pleated filter. The inner layer filter 34b is detachably attached to a receiving portion 34d formed in a ring shape with a U-shaped cross section formed inside on the other end side of the exhaust tube 34.

  A communication port for leading the air separated through the double filters 34a and 34b to the dust collecting container exhaust port 33b is opened in the inner portion of the lid 33c of the exhaust tube 34, and the air discharged from the exhaust tube 34 is discharged. The dust collection container exhaust port 33b is led to the exhaust port 14 on the housing recess 15 side.

  Further, since the outer layer filter 34a and the inner layer filter 34b filter the dust sucked together with the air to separate the dust and the air, it is necessary to clean the dust adhering to the filter. In this embodiment, in order to clean the dust adhering to the double filters 34a and 34b, an outer layer filter cleaning means 69 and a cleaning member 71 for the inner layer filter 34b are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaning means 69 for the outer layer filter 34a includes a ring-shaped attachment portion 69a disposed on the inner peripheral surface on the opening edge side of the case 33d, and the inner peripheral surface of the attachment portion 69a. And a brush 69b provided on the surface. The brush 69b has such a length that its tip slightly contacts the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer filter 34a. When the lid 33c is opened, the exhaust tube 34 can be separated through the ring-shaped attachment portion 69a. At this time, the outer layer filter 34a on the outer surface comes into contact with the brush 69b and is cleaned. .

  The cleaning member 71 is composed of a shaft member whose central portion in the axial direction protrudes in a crank shape, and both end shaft portions are rotatably supported on the inner cylinder center of the exhaust tube 34. That is, one end of the shaft member of the cleaning member 71 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion on the lid side of the exhaust tube 34, and the other end is fitted into the shaft hole of the connecting portion 74 as will be described later. Since the connecting portion 74 is rotatably supported by the exhaust tube 34, the other end is indirectly supported rotatably by the exhaust tube 34.

  The cleaning member 71 is provided with operating means 52 for manually rotating from the outside of the dust collecting container. The operating means 52 includes a manual operating portion 73 that penetrates the bottom of the case 33d and is rotatably supported on the bottom of the case 33d, and a rotational operating force from the manual operating portion 73 that can be operated from the outside. And a connecting portion 74 provided at the end of the exhaust tube 34 so as to transmit to the shaft portion.

  The manual operation unit 73 is disposed in a recess formed on the bottom surface of the case 33d so as not to interfere with the stored posture of the dust collector 30a in the cleaner body 10. The manual operation unit 73 is a cylindrical knob 73a exposed on the back side of the bottom surface of the case 33d and the back surface side of the knob 73a, that is, the bottom surface of the case 33d. And a protruding bevel gear-like meshing portion 73b.

  The connecting portion 74 is a cylindrical coupling member that is rotatably supported by the inner opening of the other end receiving portion 34d of the exhaust tube 34. The connecting portion 74 is formed in the shaft hole formed in the center portion of the lid side of the cleaning member 71. The other end shaft portion is fitted. A concave tooth receiving portion 74 a that meshes with the meshing portion 73 a of the manual operation portion 73 is formed on the other surface side of the connection portion 74, and the rotational force of the manual operation portion 73 is connected via the connection portion 74 due to the meshing of both. Is transmitted to the cleaning member 71. Further, the concave tooth receiving portion 74a can be manually rotated, and the connecting portion 74 can be independently rotated after the lid 33c is removed.

  A clamp housing part 39 is formed on the upper surface side of the lid 33c in the front-rear direction (front-rear direction of the cleaner body 10). The clamp housing part 39 is detachably engaged with the housing recess 15 of the cleaner body 10. The mating clamp 36 is housed so as to be retractable from the rear surface of the lid 33c. An operation lever 37 that can be operated from the upper surface of the lid 33 c is integrally formed on the clamp 36, and a spring 38 is interposed between the operation lever 37 and the front portion of the clamp housing portion 39. The clamp 36 is urged rearward, that is, in the direction of engagement with the cleaner body 10.

  In the above configuration, the dust collector 30a itself can be removed from the cleaner body 10 by operating the operation lever 37 of the dust collector 30a to retract the clamp 36 from the engagement hole 16 of the cleaner body 10.

  After removing the dust collector 30a from the cleaner body 10, if the knob 73a of the operation portion 73 is pinched and rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the cleaning member 71 via the connecting portion 74, and the cleaning member 71 is collected by dust. By rotating around the axis of the container and the intermediate protrusion of the cleaning member 71 coming into contact with the inner layer filter 34b, the inner layer filter 34b is hit and the inner layer filter is vibrated.

  That is, the cleaning member 71 strikes the unevenness of the inner layer filter 34b when the knob 73b is rotated. When the cleaning member 71 comes into contact with the inner layer filter 34b, the inner layer filter 34b vibrates due to the impact and can shake off dust, dust, and the like attached to the filter 34a. The dust, dust, etc. shaken off fall from the other end opening of the exhaust tube 34 to the bottom surface side of the case 33d and are collected. By repeating the rotation operation of the cleaning member 71, dust attached to the inner layer filter 34b can be completely removed, and the dust removal capability of the inner layer filter 34b can be enhanced.

  When the lid 33c is opened and the case 33d is opened, the exhaust tube 34 is also removed from the case together with the lid 33c. At this time, since the connecting portion 74 is exposed at the other end portion of the exhaust tube 34, when the connecting portion 74 is rotated, the cleaning member 71 is rotated, and the inner layer filter 34b is struck to shake dust, dust, and the like. Can be dropped.

  Moreover, since the cleaning member 71 is located inside the inner layer filter 34a, dust does not adhere to the cleaning member 71, and there is no possibility that the user touches it by mistake.

  Further, the outer layer filter 34a can be cleaned as the lid 33c is opened and closed. That is, when throwing away dust or dirt accumulated in the case 33d, that is, when extracting the exhaust tube 34 from the case 33d, the tip of the case-side brush 69b comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer filter 34a, and the exhaust tube 34 The outer peripheral surface of the outer layer filter is cleaned by the extracting operation. Further, when the lid 33c is closed, that is, when the exhaust pipe 34 is inserted into the case 33d, the tip of the brush 69b is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer filter 34a, and the outer peripheral surface is cleaned.

Note that dust, dust, and the like that have been wiped off by the brush 69b are received and accumulated at the bottom of the case 33d, as in the case of the inner layer filter 34b. Furthermore, by repeatedly reciprocating the exhaust tube 34 in the axial direction, dust adhering to the outer layer filter 34a can be completely removed, and the dust removal capability of the filter can be enhanced.
[Second Embodiment]

  8 and 9 show a dust collector 30b according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This dust collector 30b is different from the dust collector 30a of the first embodiment in that the operating means 52 provided at the other end of the cleaning member is disposed at one end of the cleaning member, that is, at the lid 33c side. That is.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the operation portion 83 of the cleaning member 81 is disposed in a recessed portion formed on the upper surface of the lid 33c so as not to interfere with the stored posture of the dust collector 30b in the cleaner body 10. A knob 83a is exposed inside and can be operated from the outside of the dust collecting container. Further, the meshing portion 83b of the operation portion 83 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding to the opening edge of the lid 33c, and a bevel gear-shaped meshing portion 83b is formed at an end portion thereof.

  The connecting portion 84 of the operation means 52 is rotatably inserted into a bearing portion at an intermediate position in the axial direction of the exhaust tube 34, a cleaning member 81 is fitted to one end side thereof, and a meshing portion 83a is fitted to the other end side. A meshing tooth receiving portion 84a is formed. The other end of the cleaning member 81 is rotatably supported by the receiving portion 34d. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  In the above configuration, after removing the dust collector 30b from the cleaner body 10, if the knob 83a of the operation portion 83 is picked and rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the cleaning member 81 via the connecting portion 84, and the cleaning is performed. The member 81 rotates about the axis of the dust collecting container, the cleaning member 81 comes into contact with the inner layer filter 34b, and the inner layer filter 34b can be struck to shake off the dust.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, correction and a change can be added within the scope of the present invention. For example, although the dust collector provided in the self-propelled cleaner has been described in the above embodiment, the dust collector attached to a general electric vacuum cleaner provided with a suction hose may be used.

  In addition, the dust collection system at that time is not limited to the cyclone system shown in the above embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to various systems that separate dust and air through a filter. Moreover, although the cleaning member is distribute | arranged inside the filter, it is not restricted to this in particular. For example, a cleaning member may be provided so as to go around the exhaust tube, and the filter may be vibrated by applying an impact to the filter from the outside of the exhaust tube.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the cleaning member is rotated by manual operation. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and for example, the cleaning member may be rotated using power such as an electric motor.

The perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner which is an embodiment of the present invention Top view of the self-propelled cleaner in FIG. Side sectional view of the self-propelled cleaner of FIG. 1 shows a suction port body of the self-propelled cleaner of FIG. 1, (a) is a side cross-sectional view showing an open posture of an opening / closing portion, and (b) is a side cross-sectional view showing a closed posture of the opening / closing portion. Cross section of the dust collector of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state which isolate | separated the dust collector shown in FIG. 5 into the lid | cover and the case AA sectional view of FIG. Sectional drawing of the dust collector which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing which shows the state which isolate | separated the dust collector shown in FIG. 8 into the lid | cover and the case

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vacuum cleaner main body 10a Connecting shaft 12 Bumper 13 Electric blower 14 Exhaust port 15 Housing recessed part 15a Inclined surface 16 Engagement hole 20 Suction port body 21a Main suction port 21b Front suction port 21c Side suction port 22 Opening and closing part 22a Shaft 22b Contact Part 23 Rotating brush 24 Recess 25 Suction path 30a Dust collector 30b of the first embodiment Dust collector 32 of the second embodiment 32 Dust collection chamber 33a Dust collection container suction port 33b Dust collection container exhaust port 33c Lid 33d Case 34 Exhaust cylinder 34a Outer layer filter 34b Inner layer filter 34d Receiving part 36 Clamp 37 Operation lever 38 Spring 39 Clamp accommodating part 41 Drive wheel 42 Auxiliary wheel 50 Elastic member 52 Operation means 60 Control part 69 Cleaning means 69a Attachment part 69b Brush 71 Cleaning member 73 Operation part 73a Knob 73b meshing part 74 connecting part 74a tooth receiving part 81 Cleaning member 83 operating section 83a knob 83b meshing portion 84 connecting portion 84a 受歯 portion

Claims (9)

A dust collector that collects dust collected in the dust collection container by filtering the dust sucked together with air from the suction port through a cylindrical filter provided in the dust collection container, discharging the air from the exhaust port, and
A dust collector comprising a cleaning member that shakes off dust adhering to the filter by rotating about an axis inside the filter. 2. The dust collector according to claim 1, further comprising operating means for manually rotating the cleaning member from the outside of the dust collecting container. The filter is attached to an exhaust pipe provided in a dust collecting container,
The cleaning member is composed of a shaft member whose central portion in the axial direction protrudes in a crank shape,
3. The dust collector according to claim 1, wherein both end shaft portions are rotatably supported at the inner cylinder center of the exhaust cylinder. The dust collection container is provided with a case that forms a dust collection chamber inside, and a lid that has an exhaust pipe inside so as to be openable and closable.
The operating means penetrates the bottom of the case so as to be operable from the outside and is rotatably supported on the bottom of the case, and transmits the rotational operating force from the manual operating unit to the shaft of the cleaning member. The dust collector according to claim 3, further comprising a connecting portion provided at an end portion of the exhaust pipe. The dust collector according to claim 4, wherein the connecting portion is operable from an end portion of the exhaust pipe in an open posture of the lid. The filter is a pleated filter,
The rotational trajectory of the cleaning member is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the pleat filter,
6. The dust collector according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comes into contact with the pleated filter by rotation around its axis and knocks off dust adhering to the filter. The filter is an inner layer filter,
The dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a mesh-like outer layer filter is provided on the outside thereof. The dust collector according to claim 7, wherein a brush for cleaning an outer surface of the outer layer filter is provided. A vacuum cleaner, wherein the dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is detachably attached to a vacuum cleaner body.

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