JP2008183360A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner in which deterioration of suction force is suppressed irrespective of dust collection amount in a dust collection unit. <P>SOLUTION: A main airflow channel 325 which connects a dust separation part 311 and the suction side of an electric blower 7 is provided with the dust collection unit 9. Pressure loss on the side of an approach route 326 is set below pressure loss on the side of the main airflow channel 325. The air sucked from a hose connection port 251 is made to easily flow to the side of the approach route 326, even if the dust collection amount by a paper pack 52 of the dust collection unit 9 provided at the main airflow channel 325 increases, suction air amount is secured to suppress deterioration of the suction force. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner provided with a dust separation part that separates dust and air.

Conventionally, this type of vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body that houses an electric blower. The vacuum cleaner body is detachably provided with a dust collection cup as a dust collection unit that collects dust sucked together with air by driving an electric blower. This dust collection cup has a cylindrical dust separation part and a dust collection chamber provided in the cup body in the top and bottom, and the upstream side of the dust separation part communicates with a cup suction port opened in the front part, and a dust collection chamber The downstream side is in communication with an exhaust port opened at the rear. A pleated filter as a filter is detachably provided at the exhaust port. In addition, the dust separation part has a plurality of openings on the peripheral surface that communicate with the exhaust port without going through the dust collection chamber, and these openings are covered with a mesh filter, and the downstream end is bent substantially vertically downward. And communicated with the dust collection chamber. The dust separation unit separates dust sucked from the cup suction port from air, and collects relatively light fine dust contained in the air in the mesh filter when the air passes through the opening. Dust is collected in the dust collection chamber, and the suction air amount passing through the dust collection chamber side is set larger than the suction air amount passing through the opening side (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-174134 A (page 4-7, FIG. 3)

  However, in the above vacuum cleaner, the suction air amount to the dust collection chamber side is set to be larger than the suction air amount to the opening side, so if dust accumulates in the dust collection chamber, the suction force decreases. It has the problem that it ends up.

  In addition, a pleat filter is commonly provided for each of the air path from the cup suction port to the exhaust port through the dust collecting chamber and the air path from the cup suction port to the exhaust port through the opening of the dust separation unit. Therefore, when the pleated filter is clogged, there is a problem that the suction force is reduced.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the vacuum cleaner which suppressed the fall of suction power irrespective of the amount of dust collection in a dust collection part.

  The present invention is provided on the downstream side of the suction port provided in the vacuum cleaner main body, communicates the dust separation part for separating dust and air, and the dust separation part and the suction side of the electric blower. The main air passage through which the dust separated by the part passes, the dust collecting part for collecting the dust separated on the main air passage side by the dust separation part, and the main air passage are separately provided The dust separation unit and the suction side of the electric blower communicate with each other, and the downstream side joins with the main air passage, and the air passage is provided with a filter that collects fine dust contained in the air. The pressure loss on the air passage side is set to be equal to or lower than the pressure loss on the main air passage side.

  According to the present invention, by setting the pressure loss on the air passage side to be equal to or lower than the pressure loss on the main air passage side, the air sucked from the suction port can easily flow to the air passage side, and the dust collecting part provided in the main air passage Even if the amount of dust collection increases, the suction air volume can be secured and the reduction of the suction force can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.

  In FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaner body, and the cleaner body 1 is a so-called canister type vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 has a main body case 2 and a lid 3 provided on the upper portion of the main body case 2 so as to be opened and closed.

  The main body case 2 includes a lower case 5 formed in a longitudinal shape in the front-rear direction and an upper case 6 attached to the upper side of the lower case 5, and an electric blower chamber 8 that houses the electric blower 7 is a rear portion. A concave mounting portion 10 as a dust collecting portion mounting portion on which a dust collecting unit 9 that is a main dust collecting portion as a dust collecting portion is detachably mounted is formed at the front, and these electric blowers A space portion 13 is formed between the chamber 8 and the placement portion 10 to which a filter portion 12 as a sub-dust collecting portion as a fine dust collecting portion is fitted. The space portion 13 and the electric blower chamber 8 Between them, the partition wall 14 is disposed.

  A large-diameter driven wheel 16 (only one is shown) is rotatably supported on both sides on the rear side of the lower case 5. Further, a swivel wheel 17 is pivotally supported on the lower surface of the lower case 5 below the mounting portion 10 so as to be swivelable. As a result, the cleaner main body 1 can travel on the floor surface to be cleaned by the driven wheel 16 and the swivel wheel 17.

  The upper case 6 covers the both sides of the lower case 5 and forms side surfaces 21 (only one is shown) of the electric blower chamber 8, a rear surface 22 that covers the rear of the lower case 5, and the upper case 5. And an upper surface portion 23 that forms the upper portion of the electric blower chamber 8 is formed. Further, the upper case 6 has a first inclined portion as a rear inclined portion inclined downward from the front portion to the front side of the upper surface portion 23 around the partition wall portion 14 which is a substantially central region in the front-rear direction of the lower case 5. A portion 24 is formed, and a fine dust receiving portion 25, which is a dust receiving portion as a horizontal portion, is formed substantially horizontally at the front portion of the first inclined portion 24. The fine dust receiving portion 25 is mounted below and below the fine dust receiving portion 25. A second inclined portion 26 is formed as a front inclined portion that is inclined downward to the front side at the rear portion of the mounting portion 10 and extends to the upper surface of the lower case 5, and is formed at the front portion of the second inclined portion 26. Thus, an extended portion 27 extending substantially horizontally along the upper surface of the lower case 5 to the vicinity of the front end of the lower case 5 is formed, and the front end portion of the extended portion 27 is locked to the lower case 5. Has been.

  Each side surface portion 21 is provided with a number of exhaust holes 31 that allow the electric blower chamber 8 to communicate with the outside of the cleaner body 1.

  The rear surface 22 has an opening (not shown) through which a power cord wound around a cord reel (not shown) housed on the side of the electric blower chamber 8 can be drawn.

  A handle 35 for gripping the cleaner body 1 is attached to the upper surface portion 23 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.

  The first inclined portion 24 has a vent 37 facing the upstream side of the partition wall portion 14 and the downstream side of the filter portion 12, and is formed in a frame shape surrounding the periphery of the partition wall portion 14.

  The fine dust receiving part 25 is formed so that the lower part of the filter part 12 attached to the space part 13 communicates, and is separated from the lower part of the filter part 12. The fine dust receiving portion 25 is spaced upward from the upper surface of the lower case 5, and the second inclined portion 26 is interposed between the lower surface of the fine dust receiving portion 25 and the upper surface of the lower case 5. A storage space 39 is defined between the partition wall 14 and the storage space 39.

  The second inclined portion 26 is located behind the swivel wheel 17 of the lower case 5 and is formed with a square hole-like lower communication opening 41.

  The extension part 27 defines a lower part of the placement part 10.

  An electric blower 7 is disposed in the electric blower chamber 8 in the front-rear direction, with the suction side as the front side and the exhaust side as the rear side. Here, in the electric blower 7, a flexible annular motor packing 43 which is a sealing member as a holding member is fitted on the outer peripheral edge portion on the front side, and the electric blower chamber 8 is inserted through the motor packing 43. It is inserted. The electric blower 7 is covered with a motor cover 44 that is a covering member on the upper side. Further, a control means (not shown) for controlling the driving of the electric blower 7 and the like is accommodated above the motor cover 44 of the electric blower chamber 8.

  The dust collection unit 9 includes a cup member 51 serving as a dust collection body that forms an outer shell, and a dust collection bag, that is, a paper pack 52 serving as a filtration filter serving as a main filter attached to the cup member 51.

  The cup member 51 includes a peripheral wall portion 55 extending from the front side to both sides, an upper wall portion 56 formed at an upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 55, and a rear portion of the upper wall portion 56 between both sides of the peripheral wall portion 55. And a lateral wall portion 57 formed continuously, and an attachment opening 58 is formed at the lower end portion.

  The peripheral wall portion 55 is curved from the front side to the both side portions along the shape of the mounting portion 10 so that the rear ends of both side portions hold the both side portions of the filter portion 12 in a state of being attached to the mounting portion 10. It is extended to. Furthermore, an accommodation recess 61 that is recessed in a concave shape toward the rear side is formed at the center portion in the left-right direction of the front end portion of the peripheral wall portion 55 so as to continue over the upper wall portion 56. It is covered with a covering member 62 attached to the front portion of the peripheral wall portion 55.

  In the housing recess 61, a detachment preventing mechanism 65 that is actuated by the lid 3 in a state in which the lid 3 is closed to prevent the dust collecting unit 9 from detaching from the mounting portion 10 is accommodated.

  Here, the detachment prevention mechanism 65 includes a locking body 68 at the lower end that protrudes in a claw shape from below to the front of the covering member 62 when pressed downward by the lid 3.

  The covering member 62 is bent from the upper wall portion 56 to the front portion of the peripheral wall portion 55, and a protrusion 62a fixed to the upper wall portion 56 by screwing or the like is formed on the upper portion. An exposure opening 62b through which the upper end portion of the separation preventing mechanism 65 is exposed is formed in the front. Further, the lower end portion of the covering member 62 is a cutout portion from which the locking body 68 can project.

  The upper wall portion 56 forms the upper surface of the dust collection unit 9, and a circular unit suction port 76, which is a dust collection portion suction port serving as a dust suction port, is formed in the substantially central region in the left-right direction. ing. An annular seal packing 77 having flexibility as a dust collecting portion seal member is attached to the peripheral portion of the unit suction port 76. Furthermore, the inner peripheral edge portion of the unit suction port 76 is continuous as a cylindrical introduction tube portion 78 that is a dust collection portion rectifying portion toward the inside and the bottom of the dust collection unit 9. Further, on both side portions of the upper wall portion 56 in front of the unit suction port 76, engaged convex portions 79, 79 as the engaged portions that are engaged with the lid body 3 project upward. .

  The introduction cylinder part 78 is a cylinder part that rectifies dust sucked from the unit suction port 76 and attaches the paper pack 52.

  Further, the engaged convex portions 79 and 79 project in a loop shape with respect to the upper wall portion 56, and a part of the lid 3 can be locked between the upper wall portion 56.

  Further, on both sides of the unit suction port 76 of the upper wall portion 56, fitting projections 81, 81 as dust collecting portion locking portions to be fitted to the lid body 3 are projected upward. A unit handle 82 as a dust collector handle for gripping the dust collector is provided from both sides to the rear of the fitting protrusions 81, 81 of the upper wall portion 56.

  In each fitting protrusion 81, a flexible holding member 84 protrudes outward from both sides from the upper part. These holding members 84 are slightly deformed in a state of being fitted to the lid 3 with the lid 3 closed, so that the lid 3 is held open in the left-right direction by the restoring force of the deformation. It is configured.

  The lateral wall portion 57 is formed in a substantially vertical shape in the vertical direction, and restricts the position of the filter portion 12 so as to face the front lower portion of the filter portion 12 while being attached to the mounting portion 10.

  The attachment opening 58 is an opening for attaching / detaching the paper pack 52 to / from the cup member 51, and the inner edge of the placement unit 10 is fitted in the state where the dust collection unit 9 is attached to the placement unit 10.

  On the other hand, the paper pack 52 includes a mouth frame 88 in which a pack opening 87 serving as a dust bag opening into which the introduction cylinder portion 78 is inserted, and a bag body 89 attached to the mouth frame 88.

  The mouth frame 88 is formed in a plate shape with cardboard or the like, for example, and is locked inside the cup member 51.

  The bag body 89 is formed, for example, by laminating a plurality of filter media, which are breathable materials, into a bag shape, and can be folded in an unused state.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the mounting portion 10 is provided with a frame body 91 that fits into the mounting opening 58 of the dust collection unit 9. The frame 91 has a substantially horizontal plate-like lattice portion 93 in which lattice openings 92 are formed in a lattice shape, and a wall portion 94 that rises upward from the peripheral edge of the lattice portion 93.

  The lattice portion 93 has lattice-like ribs 95 between the lattice openings 92, and a part of the rib 95 along the front-rear direction is in contact with the upper surface of the extending portion 27 of the upper case 6. Therefore, the plate-like lower surface of the lattice portion 93 is separated from the upper case 6, and the separated portion serves as a placement portion air passage 96 that continues to the lower communication opening 41.

  Further, on the inner peripheral side of the wall portion 94, support piece portions 97 for supporting the bag body 89 of the paper pack 52 from the lower side are provided in a plurality of locations so as to protrude substantially horizontally. Further, an annular packing 98 as a mounting portion seal member is attached to the entire outer peripheral edge portion of the wall portion 94 so that the peripheral edge portion of the mounting opening 58 of the dust collecting unit 9 abuts in an airtight manner.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 7, the filter unit 12 includes a filter container 101 serving as an outer filter unit body and a pleated filter body 102 that is detachably attached to the filter container 101. I have.

  The filter container 101 includes a horizontally long front surface portion 104 and a frame surface portion 105 protruding rearward from the entire peripheral edge portion of the front surface portion 104.

  The front surface portion 104 has an inclined surface 107 that is located on the upper side and is inclined upward in the backward direction, and an opposing surface 108 that is continuous with the lower portion of the inclined surface 107. In addition, a duct portion 109 that forms an air passage in the filter portion 12 is integrally provided at the rear portion of the front surface portion 104.

  The inclined surface 107 is a surface portion facing upward in the front side in a state where the filter portion 12 is attached to the space portion 13, and a horizontally-long rectangular filter opening 111 is formed therein. The filter opening 111 is formed so that the front portions of the duct portion 109 and the pleated filter body 102 face each other.

  The facing surface 108 is a surface portion facing the lateral wall portion 57 of the cup member 51 of the dust collection unit 9 in a state where the dust collection unit 9 and the filter unit 12 are respectively attached to the main body case 2.

  The duct portion 109 includes a duct suction portion 109a as a dust suction portion formed in the left-right direction along the upper surface of the lower frame surface portion 105, and upward from a substantially central portion of the duct suction portion 109a. By the duct holding upper part 109b as the extended dust moving part, it is formed in an inverted T shape in front view.

  The duct suction part 109 a is a part that sucks up dust collected by the pleated filter body 102 by the action of the negative pressure of the electric blower 7. That is, the duct suction portion 109a is slightly spaced from the upper surface of the lower frame surface portion 105.

  The duct holding portion 109b is a portion for further lifting the dust sucked up by the duct suction portion 109a. Further, the upper end portion of the duct holding upper portion 109b faces forward from the filter opening 111 of the front surface portion 104. Accordingly, the upper end portion of the duct holding upper portion 109b is opened in an inclined shape so as to be substantially flush with the inclination of the front surface portion 104, and a filter portion that is continuous with the peripheral portion of the filter opening 111 is formed at the peripheral portion thereof. A seal packing 113 as a partial seal member is attached.

  The frame surface portion 105 is formed so that the rear portion thereof faces the vent 37 of the upper case 6 and the lower surface thereof is fitted to the support rib 114 provided at the lower front portion of the vent 37. Further, a suction opening 115 is formed at the lower end of the facing surface 108 which is the front portion of the lower frame surface portion 105 so as to face the lower end portion of the duct suction portion 109a of the duct portion 109. Furthermore, positioning projections 116 and 116 for positioning and fixing when the filter unit 12 is attached to the space 13 are provided on the lower surface of the lower frame surface portion 105 so as to project downward in the vicinity of both sides. Further, in the vicinity of both sides of the upper surface of the upper frame surface portion 105, positioning is performed when the filter portion 12 is attached to the space portion 13, and a locking piece portion 117 for locking the filter portion 12 to the main body case 2 is provided. , 117 are projected rearward.

  Each locking piece 117 is formed with a locking hole (not shown). These locking holes are located near both sides of the upper portion of the first inclined portion 24 of the upper case 6, that is, both ends of the handle 35. The locking protrusions 124, 124 protruding upward in front of the part are configured to be inserted.

  On the other hand, the pleated filter body 102 includes a fine dust filter (auxiliary filter) that is a filtration filter as a filter, that is, a pleated filter 126, and a filter frame 127 surrounding the periphery of the pleated filter 126.

  The pleated filter 126 is, for example, a filter such as tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that collects dust on the surface. For example, dust that is finer than the paper pack 52 of the dust collection unit 9 can be collected on the surface, that is, the upstream surface. Yes. Further, the pleated filter 126 is formed in a wave shape having a plurality of crests and troughs formed in the vertical direction alternately in the left-right direction.

  The filter frame 127 is a seal member that is formed in a frame shape that can be fitted from the rear side to the edge of the frame surface portion 105 of the filter container 101, and maintains airtightness with the inside of the frame surface portion 105 over the entire outer peripheral portion. A packing (not shown) is fitted. In addition, the filter frame 127 is formed with an inclined surface portion 129 that faces the lower portion of the pleated filter 126 and is inclined downward toward the front.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9, the partition wall portion 14 is positioned on the front side, that is, on the space portion 13 side, as a front partition wall 131 and on the rear side, that is, on the electric blower chamber 8 side. A partition wall body 133 having a duct body 132 as an air passage forming body as a rear partition wall, and a filter plate as a partition wall plate section fitted to cover the vent 37 in front of the partition wall body 133 134, a dust drop unit 135 that is a dust removal mechanism that removes dust collected by the pleat filter 126 located in front of the partition wall part 14, and a drive mechanism 136 for driving the dust drop unit 135 and the like It has.

  The partition body 131 is fitted so as to cover the entire rear portion of the vent 37 and defines the upper portion of the accommodation space 39. The partition body main body 141, which is a substantially planar main body portion, and the partition body main body 141 A partition wall frame portion 142 that is a frame portion that protrudes forward is formed over the entire peripheral edge portion.

  The partition wall body 141 is provided with a round hole-shaped suction opening 144 in a substantially central portion. In addition, above the suction opening 144 on one side of the partition body main body 141, an outside air communication portion 145 is provided so as to protrude rearward.

  The suction opening 144 allows communication between the space 13 and the suction side of the electric blower 7. Further, an opening packing 147 as an opening sealing member is attached to the peripheral edge of the front portion of the suction opening 144. Further, a cylindrical connecting cylinder portion 148 as a first connecting portion whose rear end portion is connected to the duct body 132 protrudes from the peripheral edge portion of the rear portion of the suction opening 144.

  The outside air communication part 145 enables the space part 13 to communicate with the outside air. The outside air communication part 145 protrudes substantially horizontally from the rear part of the partition body main body 141 to the rear, and the protrusion horizontal plate part 151 has a hole. It is composed of a duct-shaped air passage partitioning section 154 that partitions an airtight air passage that communicates between the provided square hole-shaped introducing communication port 152 and the square hole-shaped introducing port 153 formed in the bulkhead body 141. Has been.

  Hereinafter, the outside air refers to air located outside the air passage, and does not necessarily refer to air outside the cleaner body 1.

  The front end of the partition wall frame 142 is airtightly connected to the peripheral edge of the rear portion of the vent 37 of the upper case 6.

  The duct body 132 has a duct body main body 157 as a substantially flat air passage forming body main body to which the front surface of the motor packing 43 is in close contact, and a duct forming portion 158 is integrally provided at the front portion of the duct body main body 157. ing.

  The duct body 157 has a round hole-shaped suction communication opening 161 that is substantially equal to the suction opening 144 formed at a substantially central portion, and a front end portion is connected to the connecting cylinder portion 148 at the rear peripheral portion of the suction communication opening 161. A cylindrical projecting tube portion 163 is provided as a second connection portion that is airtightly connected via a packing 162 that is a seal member.

  The duct forming portion 158 is positioned forward with respect to the duct body main body 157, and is provided to project downward downward continuously from the lower portion of the protruding cylinder portion 163. Therefore, a communication air passage 165 that communicates with the inside of the protruding cylinder portion 163 is defined between the duct forming portion 158 and the duct body main body 157. A stepped portion 166 is formed at the communicating portion with the protruding cylindrical portion 163 that is the upper end portion of the communicating air passage 165 so that the width of the communicating air passage 165 is narrowed in the front-rear direction. Further, an air passage communication port 167 communicating with the communication air passage 165 is formed in the lower portion of the duct forming portion 158, and the front portion of the air passage communication port 167 is disposed between the lower communication opening 41 and the front and rear. An air passage partition body 169 that partitions the ventilation air passage 168 along the direction is airtightly connected. That is, the air passage partition 169 is accommodated in the accommodation space 39, and communicates the ventilation air passage 168, the communication air passage 165, and the placement portion air passage 96 with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the filter plate 134 includes a filter plate main body 171 that covers the entire vent 37, and a part of the dust drop portion 135 protrudes forward at a position closer to the upper side of the filter plate main body 171. A long hole-like protruding hole 172 is formed in the left-right direction, and a plurality of ventilation openings 173 are formed in a lattice shape below the protruding hole 172. These ventilation openings 173 are filter members. A mesh filter 174 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the dust drop unit 135 has a horizontally long dust drop unit main body 176 as a dust removal mechanism main body. Guided portions 178 and 178 into which a pair of guide bodies 177 and 177 which are horizontally disposed guide bodies are inserted are provided in a cylindrical shape. Further, on the upper side of the rear part of the dust drop unit main body 176, a rack gear-shaped gear part 179 engaged with the drive mechanism 136 is provided continuously over the entire left and right direction.

  As a result, the dust drop unit 135 is provided to be slidable in the left-right direction by the drive mechanism 136.

  Furthermore, space portions 180 and 180 opening forward are provided inside the left and right sides of the front portion of the dust drop body 176, and the dust drop body 181 (as a dust remover) is provided in the space portions 180 and 180. (Only one is shown) is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in a substantially horizontal direction.

  Each guide body 177 is, for example, a metal rod, and both ends thereof are supported by guide body receiving portions 183 provided on the partition wall frame portions 142 on both sides.

  Each dust drop body 181 has a front end projecting forward and inserted into a projecting hole 172 of the filter plate 134 shown in FIG. 5, and a valley portion of the pleated filter 126 of the filter unit 12 attached to the space 13 of the main body case 2. Is fitted.

  Here, each dust drop body 181 is urged in a rotating direction by a biasing means (not shown) in any one of the left and right directions, and the front end portion of each dust drop body 181 is moved forward in a state where no load is applied. It is comprised so that the state suitable for may be maintained.

  8 and 9, the drive mechanism 136 includes a motor 185 serving as a drive source at the rear of the duct body 132, and gears 186 and 187 are respectively provided on the rotating shaft protruding forward of the motor 185. It is spaced apart in the front-rear direction and provided coaxially.

  The gear 186 is located behind the gear 187, that is, on the motor 185 side between the partition wall body 131 and the duct body 132, and a cam portion 191 is provided at the rear portion so as to rotate integrally. The gear 186 is meshed with a rotating gear 192 positioned above.

  The cam portion 191 switches on / off of the switch 194 by contacting the switch piece 194a of the switch 194 disposed on the side of the gear 186 in a state where the gear 186 substantially makes a round. Can be switched.

  The rotation gear 192 is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of about 90 °, and a rotation shaft 192a projecting in the front-rear direction at the center is inserted into the communication air passage 165. The front end is pivotally supported by the partition body main body 141 of the partition body 131 and the rear end is pivotally supported by the duct body 157, respectively. In addition, a restricting plate portion 196 formed in a fan shape substantially equal to the rotation gear 192 is attached to the front portion of the rotation gear 192 so as to be coaxial with the rotation gear 192. Further, a rectangular plate-shaped valve body 197 as an air path opening / closing valve is attached to the rotation shaft 192a of the rotation gear 192 so that the rotation shaft 192a and the communication shaft 192a are integrally rotated in the communication air path 165. It is configured. Then, one end portion of an arm portion 198 as a connecting member formed in a longitudinal shape is pivotally supported in front of the partition wall main body 141 at the front end portion of the rotation shaft 192a of the rotation gear 192.

  The restricting plate portion 196 is provided with a guide portion 203 in the vicinity of the upper end of the outer peripheral edge portion of the rotation gear 192.

  The guide portion 203 is located at the rear portion of the rotation gear 192, and a groove portion 203a that is fitted to an arcuate guide rib (not shown) provided behind the rotation gear 192 is formed at the rear portion. In the groove 203a, a coil spring (not shown) as a gear urging means is disposed along the groove 203a. This coil spring is brought into contact with the protrusions protruding forward at both ends of the guide rib by the rotation of the rotation gear 192, so that the rotation gear 192 is reverse to the rotation direction via the restriction plate 196. It is biased in the circumferential direction toward the direction.

  Further, an interlocking body 205 is in contact with the upper part of the guide portion 203, and an inlet opening / closing valve that indirectly opens and closes the inlet 153 by opening / closing the inlet communication port 152 on the upper part of the interlocking body 205. 206 is linked.

  The interlocking body 205 is provided with a long hole-shaped guide hole 205a along the vertical direction. A guide protrusion (not shown) is inserted into the guide hole 205a, and the interlocking member 205 is movable in the vertical direction along the guide protrusion. In addition, a contact surface portion 205b is formed on the lower end portion of the interlocking body 205 in a planar shape along the left-right direction. The contact surface portion 205b is supported from below by the guide portion 203, and is configured such that the interlocking body 205 moves up and down in response to the up and down movement of the guide portion 203 as the turning gear 192 rotates. Yes.

  The inlet opening / closing valve 206 is located above the connecting cylinder part 148 (projecting cylinder part 163) between the partition body main body 141 of the partition body 131 and the duct body main body 157 of the duct body 132. A cylindrical rotation shaft portion 206a pivotally supported by the main body 141 is formed along the front-rear direction, and the side of the rotation shaft portion 206a is connected to the upper end portion of the interlocking body 205. A coupled portion 206b and an on-off valve body 206c for opening and closing the introduction communication port 152 are provided to project.

  The coupled portion 206b is provided in an inclined shape so that the tip side is inclined downward.

  The on-off valve body 206c is formed in a quadrangular plate shape larger than the introduction communication port 152, protrudes on the side opposite to the connected portion 206b with respect to the rotating shaft portion 206a, and the tip side is inclined downward. It is provided in the shape. Therefore, the inlet opening / closing valve 206 is formed in a substantially square shape when viewed from the front. The on-off valve main body 206c is positioned facing the introduction communication port 152 below.

  The inlet opening / closing valve 206 moves the coupled portion 206b up and down as the interlocking member 205 moves up and down with the rotation of the rotation gear 192, and the up and down movement of the connected portion 206b causes the rotation axis to move. The on-off valve body 206c located on the opposite side via the portion 206a moves up and down in the direction opposite to the connected portion 206b, so that the introduction communication port 152 can be opened and closed.

  The valve body 197 is configured to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the rotation gear 192 while maintaining a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation gear 192. In addition, a square hole-shaped ventilation hole 208 is formed at a substantially central portion of the valve body 197. Further, a seal packing 209 which is a frame-shaped on-off valve seal member is attached to the entire surface of the valve body 197 on the side opposite to the motor 185.

  Then, in this embodiment, the valve body 197 is in a state along the vertical direction with the rotating gear 192 rotated upward, thereby opening the communication air passage 165, and the rotating gear 192 downward. The seal packing 209 is configured to be in pressure contact with the stepped portion 166 in a state along the left-right direction in a rotated state.

  On the other hand, the arm portion 198 is located at the front portion of the partition body main body 141 of the partition body 131, and keeps a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation gear 192, with the rotation of the rotation gear 192. And is configured to rotate. In addition, a disc-shaped on-off valve body 211 as an on-off switching valve is rotatably connected to the distal end portion of the arm portion 198.

  The on-off valve body 211 is formed in a disk shape larger than the suction opening 144, and is configured to be able to open and close the suction opening 144 by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the arm portion 198.

  Further, the gear 187 is meshed with the crank gear 214 on the side opposite to the rotation gear 192. The crank gear 214 is provided with a crank gear shaft portion 214a whose front end is pivotally supported by the partition body main body 141 of the partition body 131 so as to project at the center of the front portion. It is connected to a slide member 216 which is a slide member via 215. The crank gear 214, linkage 215 and slide member 216 constitute a reciprocating slider crank mechanism in which the slide member 216 reciprocates in the vertical direction.

  That is, the lower end portion of the linkage 215 is pivotally supported by the crank gear 214, and the upper end portion is pivotally supported by the lower end portion of the slide member 216.

  In addition, a guide cylinder portion 219 through which a slide guide member (not shown) that guides the slide member 216 along the vertical direction is inserted is provided above and below both sides of the rear portion of the slide member 216. Further, a rack-like slide gear portion 221 is formed on one side of the front portion of the slide member 216, and a connecting gear 222 positioned on one side of the slide member 216 is meshed with the slide gear portion 221. ing.

  The connecting gear 222 is located at the rear part of the partition body main body 141 of the partition body 131, and a large-diameter gear 223 is coaxially and integrally provided at the front, and is pivotally supported by the partition body main body 141. . The gear 223 is engaged with a gear 224 located on one side. The gear 224 is pivotally supported by the partition body main body 141, and is provided coaxially with the gear 225 located on the side of the introduction port 153 at the front of the partition body main body 141. This gear 225 is meshed with the gear part 179 of the dust drop part 135.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 and the like, the lid body 3 includes a lid body 231, a lid body connecting portion 232 coupled to the upper side of the front end portion of the lid body 231, and a lower portion of the lid body 231. And an air passage partition section 233 fitted in the.

  The lid body 231 forms an outline of the lid body 3 and is formed to be curved upward and forward, with pivoted support portions 235 and 235 projecting at the rear end portion, and at the front end portion at the front side A connecting portion attaching portion 237 inclined downward is formed. Further, holes 241 (only one is shown) are provided on both sides of the lid body 231, and opening / closing buttons (not shown) are provided in these holes 241.

  Each pivoted support portion 235 is connected to the upper case 6 of the main body case 2 in front of the handle 35 via a hinge portion 243.

  The open / close button is operated when releasing the locking of the lid 3 to the main body case 2, and a locking mechanism 245 disposed between the lid main body 231 and the lid connecting portion 232. And the locking mechanism 245 is configured to be operable by being pushed from both sides to the center in the left-right direction.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the locking mechanism 245 is arranged in the left-right direction between the engaged convex parts 79, 79 on the upper part of the cup member 51 of the dust collecting unit 9 and the upper wall part 56. Locking members 247 and 247 are inserted and locked outward from the center side. These locking members 247 and 247 are positioned below the air passage partition 233 and are urged in a direction separated from each other in the left-right direction by a coil spring (not shown) that is an urging means. Configured to disengage between the engaged convex parts 79 and 79 and the upper wall part 56 by moving toward the center side in the left-right direction against the bias by pushing operation Has been.

  Returning to FIGS. 3 to 5, the connecting portion mounting portion 237 has a round hole-shaped mounting hole 249 formed in the center.

  The lid connecting portion 232 has a substantially cylindrical connecting portion main body 253 having a cylindrical connecting tube portion 252 that opens a round hole-shaped hose connecting port 251 as a suction port, and is rotatable in the circumferential direction. The peripheral portion of the connecting portion main body 253 is attached to the connecting portion attaching portion 237 by a substantially cylindrical connecting portion attaching portion 254.

  The hose connection port 251 opens toward the front upper side of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, and the opening direction of the hose connection port 251, that is, the axial direction of the connection tube portion 252 is in the horizontal direction (vertical vertical direction). It is inclined approximately 45 °.

  The connecting cylinder 252 has a hose connection port 251 at the front end and is inserted into a straight cylindrical cylinder 256 having a flat rear end, and the cylinder 256 has a packing 257 as a seal member. Via the connecting hole 249 of the connecting part mounting part 237. That is, the hose connection port 251 communicates with the attachment hole 249 in a straight line via the connection cylinder part 252 and the cylindrical body 256.

  Here, the cylindrical body 256 is provided so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction integrally with the connecting portion mounting portion 254.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, a connecting pipe 262 at the base end portion of the hose body 261 is detachably inserted into the connecting cylinder portion 252 into the hose connection port 251. A hand operating part 263 is provided at the tip, and a gripping part 264 that is gripped by an operator protrudes from the hand operating part 263. The gripping part 264 includes an operation mode of the electric blower 7 by the operator. A plurality of setting buttons 265 are provided for setting the control means, and an extension pipe 266 and a floor brush 267 as a suction port body are sequentially connected to the distal end portion of the hand operating portion 263.

  Therefore, the connecting pipe 262 which is the base end side of the hose body 261 is rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the cleaner body 1 (main body case 2) by the connecting portion attaching portion 254 having the connecting tube portion 252 and the cylindrical body 256. Connected movably.

  The air passage section 233 includes an air path lower plate part 275 as a first air path partition plate located at the lowermost part, and a second air path section that continues upward from the front end of the air path lower plate part 275. A wind path front plate portion 276 as a plate, a wind path upper plate portion 277 as a third wind path partition plate continuing behind the wind path front plate portion 276 and above the wind path lower plate portion 275, and on the wind path An air passage middle plate portion 278 as a fourth air passage partition plate located between the plate portion 277 and the air passage lower plate portion 275, an air passage lower plate portion 275, an air passage upper plate portion 277, and an air passage middle plate portion. 278 has a wind path rear plate portion 279 as a fifth wind path partition plate continuous with the rear end, and the front end portion of the wind path lower plate portion 275, the wind path front plate portion 276, and the front end of the wind path upper plate portion 277. A separation space portion 281 is defined between the upper air passage 281 and the upper air passage 282 as a first partial air passage between the air passage upper plate portion 277 and the air passage intermediate plate portion 278. 278 and a lower wind passage 283 as a second partial air passage between the wind passage lower plate portion 275 It is defined.

  The air path lower plate portion 275 forms the lower surface of the lid body 3 and is formed so as to cover the entire lower portion of the lid body 231. Further, a communication port 285 that communicates with the unit suction port 76 of the dust collecting unit 9 is formed in a substantially central portion of the air passage lower plate portion 275, and the outer periphery of the communication port 285 is formed in FIGS. As shown, an annular seal packing 286 is attached as a lid lower seal member that is airtightly connected to the seal packing 77. Further, the air passage lower plate portion 275 is provided with fitting recesses 287 and 287 on both sides of the communication port 285, into which the fitting protrusions 81 and 81 of the dust collecting unit 9 are fitted, and the communication port. Locking fitting recesses 288 and 288 into which the locking members 247 and 247 are slidable in the left-right direction are provided on both sides in front of the 285. An operation protrusion that is inserted into the exposure opening 62b of the dust collection unit 9 with the lid 3 closed and operates the separation prevention mechanism 65 at the center in the left-right direction of the front end of the air passage lower plate 275. 289 is projected. Further, a projection fitting recess 290 into which the projection 62a of the dust collection unit 9 is fitted is formed behind the operation projection 289 of the air path lower plate 275.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the air passage front plate 276 is fitted on the lower surface of the connecting portion mounting portion 237 of the lid body 231. Therefore, the wind path front plate portion 276 is formed so as to be inclined forward and downward. The air passage front plate portion 276 is formed with a circular hole air passage communication opening 293 that communicates with the hose connection port 251 through the connection cylinder portion 252. This air passage communication opening 293 is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the mounting hole 249, that is, the connection cylinder part 252, and the rear end part that is the downstream end of the connection cylinder part 252 is fitted to the opening. Projects inward along the direction.

  The wind path upper plate part 277 is located at the front end part, and includes a front partition part 277a that partitions the separation space part 281, and a rear partition part 277b that partitions the upper wind path 282 continuously to the rear end part of the front partition part 277a. And both sides are continuous with the air passage lower plate 275 outside the peripheral edge of the communication port 285.

  The front partition 277a is provided so as to protrude substantially perpendicularly from the rear end of the air passage front plate 276, and the separation space 281 is reduced in diameter to the rear partition 277b.

  The rear partition 277b is bent substantially at a right angle in a cross-sectional view with respect to the rear end of the front partition 277a and is formed along the front-rear direction.

  In addition, a separation space portion 281 and an upper air passage 282 are provided between the front compartment portion 277a and the rear compartment portion 277b between the upper air passage 282 side surface of the air passage middle plate portion 278. A first air passage vent 295 is formed as a first partial air passage vent which communicates.

  The air passage middle plate portion 278 is formed continuously to the air passage lower plate portion 275 along the peripheral edge portion of the communication port 285, and the front end portions thereof are the front partition portion 277a and the rear partition portion 277b of the air passage upper plate portion 277. It is located inward of this continuous part along the continuous part. Further, a second air passage vent 297 as a second partial air passage vent that communicates the separation space portion 281 and the lower air passage 283 is formed in the front end portion of the air passage middle plate portion 278. . Further, a locking rib 298 protrudes from the upper air passage 282 side of the air passage middle plate portion 278.

  The second air passage vent 297 is formed in a round hole shape having a diameter substantially equal to that of the mounting hole 249, that is, the connection tube portion 252, and is formed to have an opening direction along the axial direction of the connection tube portion 252. Has been.

  The air passage rear plate portion 279 is formed in an inclined surface shape facing the inclined surface 107 of the filter container 101 of the filter unit 12 with the lid 3 closed, that is, an inclined surface shape inclined upward to the rear. . Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the air passage rear plate 279 includes a first communication opening 301 as a first partial air passage exhaust port located at the downstream end of the upper air passage 282, and a lower air passage. A second communication opening 302 serving as a second partial air passage exhaust port located at the downstream end of the H.283 is formed in an opening, and is continuously connected to the peripheral portions of the first communication opening 301 and the second communication opening 302, and the lid A seal packing 303 is attached as a body rear seal member.

  The first communication opening 301 is formed in a shape substantially the same as the filter opening 111 formed in the inclined surface 107 of the filter portion 12.

  The second communication opening 302 is formed in a shape substantially equal to the upper end opening of the duct holding portion 109b of the filter unit 12.

  The seal packing 303 is in contact with the seal packing 113 of the filter portion 12 with the lid 3 closed, and the upper air passage 282 and the lower air passage 283 are connected to the upstream side of the filter opening 111 of the filter portion 12 and the duct holding upper portion 109b. Are connected in an airtight manner to the upstream side of the upper end opening.

  Separation space portion 281 is a space portion having an axial direction inclined along the direction of opening of hose connection port 251, that is, substantially the same as the axial direction of connection tube portion 252, and dust sucked together with air from hose connection port 251 A dust separation part 311 for separating the air into dust and air is housed inside.

  The dust separation unit 311 includes a separation unit body 314 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a mesh filter 315 as a filter attached to the separation unit body 314.

  The separation unit main body 314 is hermetically connected to the rear end portion of the air passage front plate portion 276 around the air passage communication opening 293, and is reduced in diameter toward the rear end side. The second air passage vent 297 and the communication port 285 are connected to the front end portion of the air passage middle plate portion 278 in communication with each other. Accordingly, the separation portion main body 314 communicates with the communication port 285 at an inclination, for example, approximately 45 °. Further, communication holes 318 are formed in a lattice shape on the outer peripheral surface of the separation portion main body 314, and these communication holes 318 are configured to be airtightly connected to the first air passage vent 295.

  The mesh filter 315 is attached so as to cover the communication holes 318 of the separation unit main body 314, and can collect dust contained in the air passing through the communication holes 318.

  The dust separation unit 311 gives inertia to the relatively heavy coarse dust out of the dust sucked together with the air from the hose connection port 251 by driving the electric blower 7, and from the upstream side to the downstream side of the separation unit main body 314. Are separated in an inclined linear shape, and air is separated in an inclined manner toward the communication hole 318.

  The upper air passage 282 is an air passage through which the air separated by the dust separation portion 311 passes to the filter portion 12 side, and is formed in a substantially horizontal shape, and the first valve body 321 is provided therein.

  The first valve body 321 is pivotally supported in the front-rear direction by being pivotally supported by a continuous portion of the front partition portion 277a and the rear partition portion 277b of the upper air passage plate portion 277. The upper air passage 282 can be opened and closed. That is, the first valve body 321 is located in the vicinity of the first air passage vent 295. Further, a notch 321a is formed on the air passage middle plate portion 278 side of the first valve body 321 so as to fit along the surface on the upper air passage 282 side of the air passage middle plate portion 278. The front edge of the notch 321a is locked to the locking rib 298 of the air passage middle plate part 278, whereby forward rotation is restricted. Therefore, the first valve body 321 opens against its own weight by the air flow from the front side to the rear side, and closes by its own weight when the air flow stops, and does not open by the air flow from the rear side to the front side. It is configured.

  On the other hand, the lower air passage 283 is an air passage through which air from the filter unit 12 side passes to the dust collecting unit 9 side, is formed in a substantially horizontal shape, and is formed in the air passage middle plate portion 278 with respect to the upper air passage 282. The second valve body 323 is provided inside.

  The second valve body 323 includes a valve main body 323a and a mounting frame portion 323b for attaching the valve main body 323a in the lower air passage 283, and the edge of the communication port 285 that is in the vicinity of the second air passage vent 297. It is arrange | positioned at the back side of the part.

  The valve body 323a is pivotally supported in the front-rear direction with its upper end portion pivotally supported by the mounting frame portion 323b, and the lower air passage 283 can be opened and closed by this rotation.

  The attachment frame portion 323b is located on the rear side of the valve main body 323a and is formed in a frame shape along the inner side surfaces of the air passage lower plate portion 275 and the air passage middle plate portion 278. Therefore, in the second valve body 323, the valve main body 323a opens against its own weight due to the air flow from the rear side to the front side, and when the air flow stops, the valve main body 323a closes due to its own weight and from the front side to the rear side. In this air flow, the valve main body 323a is configured not to open by being held from the rear side by the mounting frame portion 323b.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dust separation unit 311 and the suction side of the electric blower 7 are connected to the communication port 285, the dust collecting unit 9, the placement unit air passage 96, and the ventilation air passage 168 with the above configuration. In addition, a main air passage 325 communicating with the communication air passage 165, the air passage 208, and the connecting cylinder portion 148 is formed, and separately from the main air passage 325, the dust separating unit 311 and the suction of the electric blower 7 The forward air passage 326 as a first air passage as an air passage communicating with the side through the upper air passage 282 (first valve body 321), the filter portion 12 and the connecting tube portion 148, and the outward passage 326 and the main air passage. 325, space portion 13, filter portion 12, duct portion 109, lower air passage 283 (second valve body 323), dust collecting unit 9, placement portion air passage 96, ventilation air passage 168, communication air A secondary air passage 328 having a return air passage 327 as a return air passage that connects the inlet 153 and the suction side of the electric blower 7 through the passage 165 and the connecting cylinder portion 148 is formed. It has been.

  Therefore, the auxiliary air passage 328 merges with the main air passage 325 in the communication air passage 165 on the downstream side, and an upper air passage 282 and a lower air passage 283 that form a part thereof are provided in the lid body 3, respectively. A space 13 to which the filter unit 12 is attached is an intersection between the forward path 326 and the return path 327.

  Further, the pressure loss of the forward path 326 is equal to or less than the pressure loss of the main air path 325, that is, the pressure loss in the state where the unused paper pack 52 is attached to the dust collection unit 9 in the main air path 325. Is set to For example, the pleated filter 126 disposed in the forward path 326 is set so as to have air permeability higher than that of the paper pack 52 of the dust collection unit 9.

  Further, the return path 327 is set to have a smaller average wind path cross-sectional area (a larger wind path resistance) than the forward path 326. Here, the average airway cross-sectional area is the average value of the area of the airway cross-section by the surface along the direction substantially orthogonal to the air passage direction, in other words, the total airway volume is the airflow volume. The value divided by the road length.

  For example, the filter unit 12 that forms part of each of the forward path 326 and the return path 327, as shown in FIG. On the return path 327 side, a duct suction part 109a formed in an elongated shape in the left-right direction in the filter container 101, and a substantially central region in the left-right direction of the duct suction part 109a upward. An air path is defined by an elongated duct holding upper portion 109b that extends and has an upper end opening located in the filter opening 111. That is, in the filter unit 12, most of the air path on the forward path 326 side is partitioned, whereas the air path on the return path 327 side is only partially partitioned.

  Similarly, the return path 327 has a mounting frame portion 323b of the second valve body 323, an introduction cylinder portion 78, a lattice opening 92 of the mounting portion 10, a ventilation air passage 168, and a communication air passage 165 at positions other than the filter portion 12. Since the air passes through the inside, the airway cross-sectional area is smaller than the forward path 326.

  Then, the return path 327 and the introduction port 153 are blocked by the drive mechanism 136, the first valve body 321 and the second valve body 323, and the hose is connected by driving the electric blower 7 through the main air path 325 and the forward path 326. The suction state (cleaning state) in which dust sucked from the port 251 can be collected by the dust collecting unit 9 and the pleated filter 126 of the filter unit 12 and the outside air is introduced into the return path 327 through the introduction port 153 by driving the electric blower 7 The switching means 329 is configured to switch the dust collected by the pleat filter 126 to a dust moving state (air washing state) in which the dust is moved to the dust collecting unit 9 via the return path 327.

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

  First, when cleaning is started, the lid 3 is opened, the dust collecting unit 9 to which the paper pack 52 is attached is attached to the placing portion 10, and the filter portion 12 to which the pleat filter 126 is attached is positioned to the positioning projection 116. 116 are brought into contact with the fine dust receiving portion 25, and the locking projections 124, 124 of the upper case 6 are engaged with the locking hole portions of the locking piece portions 117, 117, so that the filter portion 12 is connected to the space portion 13. Secure to.

  Thereafter, when the lid 3 is closed, the locking members 247 and 247 are engaged between the engaged convex portions 79 and 79 of the dust collecting unit 9 and the upper wall portion 56, and the fitting concave portions 287 and 287 are engaged. The fitting projections 81 and 81 of the dust collection unit 9 are fitted, the projection 62a of the dust collection unit 9 is fitted into the projection fitting recess 290, and the operation projection 289 is inserted into the exposure opening 62b. Then, the detachment prevention mechanism 65 operates to engage the locking body 68 with the upper end of the front portion of the mounting portion 10, and the dust collecting unit 9 and the filter portion 12 are held in the main body case 2 by the lid 3. Is done.

  In this state, the seal packing 286 is pressed against the seal packing 77 of the dust collecting unit 9, and the seal packing 303 is pressed against the seal packing 113 of the filter unit 12, and the lid 3 side, the dust collecting unit 9 and the filter unit 12 are Each is connected airtight.

  Then, the operator inserts and connects the connecting pipe 262 which is the proximal end side of the hose body 261 to the hose connection port 251 of the lid body 3, and the extension pipe 266 and the floor brush 267 are connected to the distal end side of the hose body 261. Are connected in order.

  At this time, the connecting pipe 262 of the hose body 261 is linearly inserted into the connecting cylinder part 252 via the hose connection port 251, and is connected to the main body case 2 so as to be rotatable.

  When the operator sets the operation mode of the electric blower 7 with the setting button 265 and starts the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner, the control unit operates the drive mechanism 136 via the motor 185, and the electric blower 7 is set. Drive in operation mode.

  Specifically, first, when the motor 185 rotates in the counterclockwise direction shown in FIG. 8, the gears 186 and 187 rotate in the same direction. On the gear 186 side, a rotating gear 192 meshed with the gear 186 rotates downward, and as the rotating gear 192 rotates, the on-off valve body 211 is shown in FIG. The suction opening 144 is opened by rotating in the middle right direction, the valve body 197 is rotated in the upward direction, the seal packing 209 is brought into contact with the stepped portion 166, and the inlet opening / closing valve 206 is connected. When the portion 206b moves downward, the on-off valve body 206c rotates upward to close the introduction communication port 152 and block the introduction port 153.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the switching means 329 switches the main air passage 325 and the forward passage 326 of the sub air passage 328 to a suction state that communicates with the suction side of the electric blower 7.

  On the gear 187 side, the crank gear 214 meshed with the gear 187 rotates and the slide member 216 reciprocates in the vertical direction along the slide guide member via the linkage 215. 8 is alternately rotated in the counterclockwise direction and the clockwise direction in FIG. 8, and the gear 223 is rotated integrally with the connection gear 222. The gear 224 meshed with the gear 223 is rotated, the gear 225 is rotated integrally with the gear 224, and the dust drop main body 176 with the gear portion 179 meshed with the gear 225 is the guide bodies 177, 177. As the dust drop body 181 sequentially climbs over the ridges of the pleated filter 126, the pleated filter 126 is vibrated to remove dust adhering to the pleated filter 126.

  Then, when the gear 186 makes a complete turn, the cam unit 191 pushes the switch piece 194a of the switch 194, so that the control means stops the motor 185 by a signal from the switch 194.

  The operator sucks dust together with air from the front end side of the floor brush 267 by the action of negative pressure by driving the electric blower 7. The sucked dust is sucked into the hose connection port 251 through the extension pipe 266 and the hose body 261 together with air.

  Here, of the sucked dust, coarse dust is given inertia by the sucked air, and after traveling straight through the connecting tube portion 252, the dust separating portion 311 passes through the second air passage vent 297, and this second A substantially vertical downward direction that is rectified by the valve body 323a of the second valve body 323 located in the vicinity of the air passage vent 297 and is, for example, 45 ° with respect to the axial direction of the connecting tube portion 252 that is the opening direction of the hose connecting port 251 Then, after passing through the communication port 285, the air is sucked from the unit suction port 76 through the introduction cylinder part 78 into the paper pack 52 in the dust collection unit 9 through the pack opening 87.

  In addition, the air sucked into the paper pack 52 together with the coarse dust collects the fine dust contained when passing through the bag body 89 of the paper pack 52, and the placement section air passage through the lattice opening 92. After flowing into 96, it passes from the lower communication opening 41 to the ventilation air passage 168, and from the air passage communication port 167 to the suction of the electric blower 7 through the communication air passage 165, the ventilation hole 208 and the connecting cylinder portion 148. It is sucked into the side.

  Further, the remainder of the air sucked together with the dust and separated by the dust separation part 311 is connected at an angle substantially equal to the separation angle of the coarse dust with respect to the axial direction of the connection cylinder part 252 which is the opening direction of the hose connection port 251. For example, the dust is separated by the dust separation part 311 in a substantially horizontal direction that is 45 ° with respect to the axial direction of the cylinder part 252 and passes through the communication hole 318. While being collected, when passing through the upper air passage 282, the first valve body 321 is pushed rearward and flows into the filter portion 12 through the first communication opening 301 and the filter opening 111, and the pleats. When passing through the filter 126, fine dust that has not been collected by the mesh filter 315 is further collected, and after passing through the pleated filter 126, when passing through the ventilation opening 173 of the filter plate body 171, the mesh filter 174 More dust is collected Then, the air is sucked into the electric blower 7 from the suction opening 144 through the connecting cylinder portion 148.

  The air sucked into the electric blower 7 passes through the electric blower 7 to become exhaust air, and is exhausted from the electric blower 7 to the outside of the main body case 2 through the exhaust hole 31.

  When finishing the cleaning, when the operator sets the operation mode of the electric blower 7 to the stop mode using the setting button 265, the control unit operates the drive mechanism 136 via the motor 185.

  Specifically, the opening / closing valve body 211 closes the suction opening 144, the valve body 197 rotates downward, and the inlet opening / closing valve 206 is By turning downward and opening the introduction communication port 152, the switching means 329 blocks the main air passage 325 and the forward passage 326 of the sub air passage 328 as shown in FIG. Only the return path 327 is switched to the dust moving state communicating with the suction side of the electric blower 7.

  On the gear 187 side, the dust drop unit 135 vibrates the pleat filter 126 and removes the dust adhering to the pleat filter 126 by an operation reverse to that at the start of operation of the vacuum cleaner. The removed dust falls from the pleat filter 126 and falls on the fine dust receiving portion 25 and the like along the inclined surface portion 129 of the filter frame 127.

  In this dust moving state, the outside air introduced into the main body case 2 from the inlet 153 by driving the electric blower 7 passes through the pleated filter 126 from the downstream side to the upstream side, that is, in the backwash direction. In addition to removing the fine dust collected by the pleated filter 126, the outside air sucks the fine dust that has fallen into the fine dust receiving portion 25 and the like from the duct suction portion 109a through the suction opening 115, and holds the duct. The air is sucked from the upper portion 109b into the lower air passage 283 through the second communication opening 302.

  The outside air sucked into the lower air passage 283 pushes the second valve body 323 forward and is sucked into the paper pack 52 of the dust collecting unit 9 through the return passage 327, and the placement portion air passage 96, The air is sucked into the suction side of the electric blower 7 through the ventilation air passage 168 and the communication air passage 165.

  At this time, the fine dust passing through the lower air passage 283 is collected while being rectified to the dust collection unit 9 by the valve body 323a of the second valve body 323.

  Then, the control unit stops the motor 185 after the motor 185 is stopped by a signal from the switch 194 generated when the switch piece 194a is pushed by the cam portion 191 when the gear 186 makes one round.

  In this way, the return path 327 and the introduction port 153 of the auxiliary air passage 328 are blocked, and the dust sucked from the hose connection port 251 by driving the electric blower 7 through the main air passage 325 and the outward passage 326 of the auxiliary air passage 328. Is collected in the pleated filter 126 of the dust collecting unit 9 and the filter unit 12, and the outside air is introduced into the return path 327 through the introduction port 153 by driving the electric blower 7, and the dust collected in the pleated filter 126 is collected. Is switched by the switching means 329 to the dust moving state in which the dust is moved to the dust collecting unit 9 via the return path 327, so that the amount of dust collected by the dust collecting unit 9 in the main air passage 325 increases in the suction state. However, the air sucked from the hose connection port 251 is branched to the forward path 326 of the auxiliary air path 328 to suppress the reduction of the intake air volume, and when switched to the dust moving state by the switching means 329, it is collected by the pleat filter 126. Dust collecting unit Since the increase in air path resistance of the auxiliary air passage 328 side due to clogging of the moved pleated filter 126 is suppressed to 9, it is possible to suppress the reduction in suction power over time.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, by setting the pressure loss of the forward path 326 to be equal to or less than the pressure loss of the main wind path 325, the air sucked from the hose connection port 251 in the above suction state is further transferred to the forward path 326 side. Even if the pressure loss on the main air passage 325 side increases, for example, the amount of dust collected in the paper pack 52 of the dust collection unit 9 provided in the main air passage 325 increases and the bag 89 is clogged. A reduction in suction force can be reliably suppressed by securing the suction air volume.

  In addition, by making the average airway cross-sectional area of the return path 327 smaller than that of the forward path 326, the outside air introduced from the inlet 153 increases the wind speed when passing through the return path 327 in the dust moving state. The collected fine dust can be removed from the pleat filter 126 and reliably moved to the paper pack 52 of the dust collection unit 9 for collection.

  In particular, by setting the air passage cross-sectional area of the duct suction portion 109a of the duct portion 109 of the filter portion 12 that sucks up fine dust removed from the pleat filter 126 in a dust moving state, the fine dust at the duct suction portion 109a is set small. The wind speed at the moment of sucking up can be increased, and the fine dust falling on the fine dust receiving portion 25 can be surely sucked up through the duct suction portion 109a and collected in the paper pack 52 of the dust collecting unit 9. .

  In the suction state, with respect to the opening direction of the hose connection port 251, the angle to the main air passage 325 side with respect to the dust separator 311 and the angle to the forward air passage 326 side of the auxiliary air passage 328 are substantially equal acute angles, for example, By setting each angle to about 45 °, the air sucked by driving the electric blower 7 can be easily branched into the main air passage 325 side and the forward air passage 328 side of the sub air passage 328, respectively, and the pressure loss can be suppressed and The suction performance of the entire vacuum cleaner can be improved and the separation performance of the dust separation unit 311 can be secured.

  In addition, the opening direction of the hose connection port 251 is set to about 45 ° with respect to the dust collection unit 9, and the upper air passage 282 on the upstream side of the forward passage 326 branches in the horizontal direction with respect to the main air passage 325, and the return passage By arranging the lower air passage 283 of the 327 substantially parallel to the upper air passage 282, the dust separation unit 311 separates the air to the outward passage 326 in the suction state, and the dust is collected from the return passage 327 in the dust movement state. Both the efficiency of moving dust to the unit 9 can be improved.

  Further, during maintenance of the vacuum cleaner, by operating the open / close button of the lid 3, the locking member 247 of the locking mechanism 245 operates to lock the lid 3 and the dust collecting unit 9. When the lid body 3 is opened by rotating the lid body 3 while being removed, the dust collection unit 9 and the filter unit 12 are exposed from the main body case 2 as shown in FIG. The filter unit 12 is removed from the main body case 2, the paper pack 52 is removed from the cup member 51 and discarded, and a new paper pack 52 is attached to the cup member 51, and the pleated filter 126 is removed from the filter container 101 to remove dust. The dust collecting unit 9 and the filter unit 12 are attached to the main body case 2 after being removed and attached to the filter container 101 again.

  Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the lid body 3 is provided with the upper wind path 282 and the lower wind path 283 that are parts of the forward path 326 and the return path 327 of the auxiliary wind path 328, respectively. Since the dust collection unit 9 is exposed in a state in which 3 is opened, the detachability and maintenance of the dust collection unit 9 are improved.

  Further, since the upper air passage 282 and the lower air passage 283 are provided in the lid 3, the air passages 282 and 283 can be easily cleaned from the first communication opening 301 and the second communication opening 302 side.

  Furthermore, since the pack opening 87 is positioned above the paper pack 52 in a state where it is attached to the dust collecting unit 9, dust does not fall from the paper pack 52.

  Further, by dividing the upper air passage 282 and the lower air passage 283 by only one of the air passage middle plate portions 278, it is possible to save space in the lid 3, and the lid 3 (electrical The weight of the vacuum cleaner can also be reduced.

  Further, the second valve body 323 is disposed at the communication portion between the downstream side of the dust separation portion 311 and the dust collection unit 9 and at the communication portion between the return path 327 of the auxiliary air passage 328 and the dust collection unit 9. In the suction state, the coarse dust that has passed through the dust separator 311 can be rectified to the dust collection unit 9 by the valve body 323a of the second valve body 323. In the dust movement state, fine dust that has passed through the return path 327 can be rectified. The flow can be rectified to the dust collection unit 9 by 323a.

  Further, the dust collecting unit 9 is disposed below the lid 3 and the return path 327 of the auxiliary air path 328 is provided below the forward path 326, so that the fine dust removed from the pleat filter 126 in the dust moving state is more than necessary. The fine dust can be efficiently moved to the dust collecting unit 9 without being lifted up.

  By providing the inlet 153 on the downstream side of the pleated filter 126 in the suction state, that is, on the suction side of the electric blower 7, the outside air introduced from the inlet 153 in the dust moving state passes through the pleated filter 126 from the downstream side. Therefore, the outside air is averaged and spread over the entire surface during the backwashing, so that the entire pleated filter 126 can be cleaned substantially uniformly, and clogging of the pleated filter 126 can be reliably prevented.

  In addition, by opening and closing the inlet opening / closing valve 206 and the opening / closing valve body 211 with a single motor 185, the suction state and the dust movement state can be compared with the case of opening and closing using a plurality of motors. The structure for switching can be simplified, space-saving and light-weight, and the vacuum cleaner can be reduced in size.

  Further, the dust drop part 135 is interlocked by a motor 185 for opening and closing the inlet opening / closing valve 206 and the opening / closing valve body 211, thereby simplifying the configuration and collecting dust collected by the pleat filter 126. Therefore, the pleat filter 126 can be prevented from being clogged.

  In the above embodiment, the timing for operating the switching means 329 is arbitrarily set at a time other than when the operation of the vacuum cleaner starts or at the end, for example, when a predetermined time elapses from the start of operation of the vacuum cleaner. In addition, even in a vacuum cleaner that does not switch between the suction state and the dust movement state by the switching means 329, as long as it is configured to separate the main air passage 325 and the sub air passage 328 by the dust separator 311, Can be used. In this case, the switching means 329 and the like are not necessary, and the auxiliary air passage 328 can be configured only by the forward passage 326, so that the configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner can be further simplified.

  Further, a cutout is provided in the first valve body 321 of the return path 327 of the auxiliary air passage 328 so that the outside air introduced from the introduction port 153 in the dust moving state is passed from the downstream side of the mesh filter 315 of the dust separation unit 311. It is also possible to configure to lead to the dust collection unit 9. In this case, the mesh filter 315 can be backwashed in the dust moving state, and the clogging on the side of the auxiliary air passage 328 can be more reliably prevented.

  Furthermore, instead of providing the vent hole 208 in the valve body 197, a configuration in which the valve body 197 is not provided may be employed. In this case, the structure for interlocking the valve body 197 can be simplified.

  The introduction port 153 may be configured to be able to communicate with air outside the cleaner body 1 through the exhaust hole 31.

  Further, the switching means 329 is not limited to the above configuration.

  Further, the dust drop unit 135 may not be provided.

  The introduction port 153 may be configured to introduce outside air to the upstream side of the pleat filter 126 in a dust moving state and remove fine dust collected by the pleat filter 126. Similar effects can be obtained. At this time, it is preferable that the pleated shape of the pleated filter 126 is aligned in the vertical direction so that outside air is blown onto the pleated filter 126 from above via the inlet 153.

  Further, the respective separation angles of the main air passage 325 (dust collection unit 9) side and the forward passage 326 side in the dust separation portion 311 with respect to the opening direction of the hose connection port 251 are not limited to the above configuration.

  Further, the average wind path cross-sectional area of the return path 327 may be greater than or equal to the average wind path cross-sectional area of the forward path 326.

  And the details of the vacuum cleaner are not limited to the above configuration, and the vacuum cleaner is not limited to the canister type, for example, an autonomous traveling type (robot type) vacuum cleaner, or a handy type upper side. If it is the structure which holds the dust collection unit 9 with the cover body 3, it can be used correspondingly.

It is a perspective sectional view showing the suction state of the electric vacuum cleaner of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective sectional view showing the dust movement state of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective sectional view expanding and showing a part of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the cover body of the vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the main body case of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the same cover body from the downward direction. It is a perspective view which shows the filter vicinity of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a part of switching means of a vacuum cleaner same as the above from the front. It is a perspective view which shows a part of switching means same as the above from back. It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vacuum Cleaner Body 7 Electric Blower 9 Dust Collection Unit as Dust Collection Unit
126 Pleated filter as filter
251 Hose connection port as suction port
311 Dust separator
325 Main wind
326 Outbound as a wind path
327 Return as a return wind
329 Switching means

Claims (2)

A vacuum cleaner body containing an electric blower,
A suction port provided in the vacuum cleaner body;
A dust separation part provided on the downstream side of the suction port, for separating dust and air;
A main air passage through which the dust separated by the dust separation unit passes and the dust separation unit communicates with the suction side of the electric blower.
A dust collecting portion that is provided in the main air passage and collects the dust separated to the main air passage side by the dust separation portion;
Separately from the main air passage, the dust separation portion and the suction side of the electric blower communicate with each other, and the air passage where the downstream side merges with the main air passage,
It is provided in this air passage, and comprises a filter that collects fine dust contained in the air,
The pressure loss on the air passage side is set to be equal to or lower than the pressure loss on the main air passage side. A return air passage that communicates the upstream side of the merging position with the main air passage of the air passage and the dust collecting portion;
A suction state in which dust sucked from the suction port by driving of the electric blower through the main air passage and the air passage can be collected in the dust collecting portion and the filter, and fine dust collected in the filter is collected in the dust collecting portion. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising switching means for switching to a dust moving state to be moved to at least via the return air passage.

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