JP2010125039A - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric vacuum cleaner wherein the power source cord is made easier to be taken up to a cord reel while suppressing the enlarging of the body case. <P>SOLUTION: The rotating shaft 73 of a cord reel 32 is tilted to the vertical direction in such a manner that the cord lead-out port 51 side of the cord reel 32 may tilt downward under a state wherein a power source cord 31 is taken up. The enlarging of the body case 25 is suppressed by suppressing the arrangement space for the cord reel 32. The power source cord 31 is made easier to be taken up into the cord reel 32 through the cord lead-out port 51 from the cord lead-out port 51 side which is tilted to the lower side of the cord reel 32. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner including a cord reel that is rotatably accommodated above an electric blower.

Conventionally, this type of electric vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body having a hollow main body case, and an electric blower and a cord reel accommodated in the main body case. The electric blower is accommodated in the lower part of the rear part in the main body case, and the front side, which is the suction side, is airtightly connected to a dust collection chamber defined on the front side of the main body case. And, considering the downsizing of the main body case and the low center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body, the cord reel has a horizontal shape with the rotation axis in the vertical direction, that is, the vertical direction, above the electric blower in the main body case. The plug portion on the front end side of the power cord is led out of the main body case from a cord outlet opening opened at the rear portion of the main body case (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-211131 (page 3-4, FIGS. 1 and 2)

  Most of the power cords that are led out from the cord outlet and connected to a commercial AC power source via an outlet or the like are on the floor surface to be cleaned. For this reason, in the above vacuum cleaner, when the power cord is wound, the power cord is wound up so as to be pulled up from the floor surface to the cord reel through the cord outlet, so that the cord reel can be rotated. The load on the rotational drive means such as the mainspring spring increases. If the load of the rotation driving means is large as described above, the floor surface may be damaged by the plug portion when the power cord is wound, or the plug portion may jump up.

  Further, since the power cord is wound around the cord reel from the lower side, the power cord tends to be biased toward the lower side of the cord reel, and the power cord may be entangled during winding.

  As described above, the above-described electric vacuum cleaner has a problem that the windability of the power cord is not good.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the vacuum cleaner which made it easy to wind up a power cord on a cord reel, suppressing the enlargement of a main body case.

  The present invention relates to a cord reel that is wound around a power cord for supplying power to an electric blower, and is rotatably accommodated above the electric blower of the main body case, and a rotation driving means that rotates the cord reel at least in the winding direction of the power cord. And a vacuum cleaner main body provided with a cord outlet that is provided in the main body case so as to be opposed to the side portion of the cord reel and that allows the leading end side of the power cord to be taken in and out of the main body case, and the cord reel has at least the power cord It has a rotating shaft inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the cord outlet side inclines downward in the winding state.

  According to the present invention, the cord reel rotation space is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the cord outlet port side of the cord reel is inclined downward at least in a state where the power cord is wound up. This suppresses the increase in the size of the main body case and facilitates winding of the power cord around the cord reel from the cord outlet port side inclined downward of the cord reel through the cord outlet port.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the vacuum cleaner of one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 11 denotes a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner, and the vacuum cleaner 11 has a pipe part 12 and a vacuum cleaner body 13 to which the pipe part 12 is detachably connected.

  The pipe part 12 includes a connection pipe part 15 connected to the front part of the cleaner body 13, a flexible hose body 16 communicating with the distal end side of the connection pipe part 15, and a distal end side of the hose body 16. The hand operating part 17 provided in the hand, the extension pipe 18 detachably connected to the distal end side of the hand operating part 17, and the floor as a suction port body detachably connected to the distal end side of the extension pipe 18 And a brush 19.

  The hand operating unit 17 protrudes toward the hose body 16 with a gripping part 21 for an operator to grip, and the gripping part 21 is provided with a plurality of setting buttons 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaner body 13 includes a body case 25 formed of, for example, a synthetic resin, and the body dust collection chamber 26 is formed in the front portion of the body case 25. An electric blower chamber (not shown) that accommodates the electric blower unit 27 and a cord reel chamber that accommodates a cord reel 32 around which the power cord 31 is wound so as to be put in and out can be divided.

  The main body case 25 is sandwiched from above and below by a lower case 35 that is open on the upper side, an upper case 36 that covers the electric blower chamber and the cord reel chamber that are the upper rear portion of the lower case 35, and the lower case 35 and the upper case 36. A bumper portion 37, a main body cover 38 as a cover body pivotally supported at the rear end so as to be pivotable in the vertical direction with respect to the upper case 36 or the lower case 35, and capable of opening and closing the main body dust collecting chamber 26, and cleaning A handle (not shown) for lifting the machine body 13 is provided. A large-diameter traveling wheel 39 (only one of which is shown) for traveling of the cleaner body 13 is rotatably supported at positions near the rear portions on both sides of the lower case 35.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lower case 35 has a lower portion 41 formed in a flat shape, and a front surface portion 42 is continuously formed upward from the front end of the lower portion 41. A main body suction port 47 into which the base end side of the connecting pipe portion 15 of the pipe portion 12 is inserted and connected is formed in the front portion 42 so as to communicate with the main dust collection chamber 26 at the center position in the left-right width direction. ing.

  In addition, in order to obtain traveling performance (straightness) of the vacuum cleaner body 13 (main body case 25) such as a turning wheel that can turn in the horizontal direction and can contact the surface to be cleaned, in front of the running wheel 39 of the lower part 41. The contact portion may be provided.

  The bumper portion 37 is formed so as to continuously surround the periphery of the main body case 25 from the front side to both sides and the rear side. A large number of exhaust holes (not shown) communicating with the electric blower chamber and a cord outlet 51 for leading the power cord 31 to the outside of the main body case 25 are formed at the rear portion of the bumper portion 37, respectively. .

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cord outlet 51 is formed of a concave portion 53 that is recessed toward the front side at a position closer to one side in the left-right width direction with respect to the planar rear surface 37 a of the bumper portion 37. An opening is formed at the front end and faces the rear part of the cord reel 32.

  The concave portion 53 includes a peripheral surface portion 55 formed so as to form a convex arc shape in a front view from both sides to the upper side, and an inclined surface 56 continuous between both lower sides of the peripheral surface portion 55. .

  The peripheral surface portion 55 is formed so as to be gradually inclined along the front-rear direction and toward the cord outlet 51.

  The inclined surface 56 is used to call the power cord 31 into the cord outlet 51, and is inclined downward from the lower portion of the cord outlet 51 to the rear.

  The main body lid 38 can open and close the upper part of the main body dust collecting chamber 26.

  A dust collection unit (not shown) such as a paper pack as a dust collection bag or a dust collection cup as a dust collection device such as a cyclone separator is detachably disposed in the main body dust collection chamber 26. Further, the main dust collection chamber 26 communicates with the electric blower chamber (the suction side of the electric blower unit 27).

  The dust collection unit is airtightly connected to the downstream side of the main body suction port 47 in a state of being attached to the main body dust collection chamber 26.

  The electric blower unit 27 includes an electric blower cover 61 and an electric blower 62 covered with the electric blower cover 61. With respect to the electric blower chamber, for example, by elastic means such as a plurality of coil springs, The main body case 25 is elastically supported at a substantially central position in the left-right direction and at a position near the lower rear side of the main body case 25. For this reason, the electric blower unit 27 has a center of gravity located slightly above the rotation center C of the traveling wheel 39 and at a position behind the rotation center C. The electric blower unit 27 is the heaviest item in the vacuum cleaner body 13, and the center of gravity position of the cleaner main body 13 is substantially set by the position of the center of gravity of the electric blower unit 27. That is, the vacuum cleaner body 13 has a center of gravity at a stable position on the floor F as a surface to be cleaned, in a state where the front side of the rotation center C of the traveling wheel 39 is tilted so as to rotate upward. is doing.

  The electric blower cover 61 has a cylindrical communication portion 64 that is airtightly connected to the main body dust collection chamber 26, and a cover main body portion 65 that communicates with the rear portion of the communication portion 64 and covers the electric blower 62.

  The communication part 64 communicates with the suction side of the electric blower 62 and protrudes to the front side.

  The cover main body 65 is formed in a capsule shape that covers substantially the entire electric blower 62, and an exhaust opening (not shown) is formed in communication with the exhaust side of the electric blower 62.

  In addition, the electric blower 62 is powered by the power source 31 through the power cord 31 and is operated by the control means 67 in a predetermined operation mode set by the setting button 22 to collect dust together with air through the pipe portion 12. Inhale. Further, the electric blower 62 is elastically supported by the electric blower cover 61 by elastic support means (not shown) such as a spring. And this electric blower 62 is coaxial with the electric blower cover 61, and on the virtual straight line along the front-rear direction of the cleaner body 13 (main body case 25), the main body inlet 47 and the electric blower 62 It arrange | positions so that the suction side may be located.

  The control means 67 is composed of a circuit board, electronic parts, and the like, and is accommodated in the main body case 25 above the cord reel 32.

  The electric blower unit 27 is configured such that the electric blower 62 is covered with the electric blower cover 61, but the electric blower cover 61 may be omitted.

  The power cord 31 has, for example, a length of several meters, and the base end side is electrically connected to the electric blower 62 and the control means 67 through the center side of the cord reel 32, and is illustrated at the distal end portion. A plug portion 71 connected to an outlet such as a wall surface not to be formed is formed.

  The plug portion 71 is a state where all the power cord 31 is wound around the cord reel 32, and is fitted to the cord outlet 51 to act as a stopper so that the power cord 31 does not enter the main body case 25. The main body case 25 is configured not to protrude from the rear surface 37a of the bumper portion 37.

  Further, the cord reel 32 is located above the electric blower unit 27, the rotating shaft 73 is along the vertical direction, and the cleaner body 13 is stable on the floor surface F in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the upper side is inclined backward. That is, the cord reel 32 is disposed horizontally in the main body case 25, and the rotary shaft 73 is perpendicular to the vertical direction so that the rear part is inclined downward, in other words, the rear part is lowered. Inclined. Further, the cord reel 32 is urged in the winding direction of the power cord 31 by a mainspring spring 74 as an urging means as a rotation driving means, and is attached to the mainspring spring 74 by a brake device (not shown). The power cord 31 is prevented from rotating in the winding direction against the force. The brake device can release the rotation prevention of the cord reel 32 by operating a cord winding button (not shown) provided on the upper case 36 of the main body case 25, for example. The cord reel 32 is configured to be rotatable in the winding direction of the power cord 31 by the force.

  Further, the rotation axis 73 of the cord reel 32 is a position where the rotation center C of the traveling wheel 39 is located on the extension in a side view. Further, the cord reel 32 is made of a synthetic resin or the like, and has a substantially cylindrical body portion 77 around which the power cord 31 is wound, and a flange-like shape from both ends in the axial direction of the body portion 77, that is, from the upper and lower ends ( It is formed in the shape of a coil bobbin provided with end plate portions 78 and 79 protruding in a bowl shape.

  A mainspring spring 74 is accommodated on the lower end side of the body portion 77. Further, the base end portion of the power cord 31 is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the body portion 77, that is, the vicinity of the upper end plate portion 78, in other words, the position biased to the upper side of the body portion 77.

  The end plate portions 78 and 79 regulate the protrusion of the power cord 31 wound around the body portion 77. A cord outlet 51 is disposed at a position where the region between the end plate portions 78 and 79 extends backward. That is, the cord outlet 51 is opened at a position facing the outer periphery of the body portion 77 of the cord reel 32.

  The mainspring spring 74 has a central end connected to the rotating shaft 73 of the cord reel 32 and an outer peripheral end connected to the body 77 of the cord reel 32, and the cord reel 32 is pulled out of the power cord 31. It is configured to be stored with a force for urging the cord reel 32 in the winding direction of the power cord 31 by being wound with the rotation in the direction.

  Next, the cleaning operation according to the above embodiment will be described.

  First, for example, when a new dust collection bag is used as the dust collection unit, the operator opens the main body cover 38 of the main body case 25, attaches the dust collection unit, and closes the main body cover 38. Note that this operation is not necessary when the dust collecting part, which is a dust bag already attached, can be used as it is, or when a dust collecting device such as a dust collecting cup is used as the dust collecting part.

  At this time, the vacuum cleaner main body 13 has a center of gravity so that the front side of the floor F on the floor F with respect to the rotational center C of the traveling wheel 39 rotates upward, in other words, the lower portion 41 of the main body case 25. It stabilizes in the state which inclined so that the front side might be spaced apart from the floor surface F upwards. In this state, the rear side (rear end portion) of the lower portion 41 of the main body case 25 is preferably slightly separated from the floor surface F, but may be in light contact.

  Next, the hose body 16 (connection pipe part 15), the extension pipe 18 and the floor brush 19 are connected in series to the main body suction port 47, and the power cord 31 is pulled out from the main body case 25 to connect the plug part 71 to an outlet such as a wall. Connecting.

  At this time, the power supply cord 31 is a vacuum cleaner main body along the inclined surface 56 where the portion led out from the cord outlet 51 that opens toward the rear lower side due to the inclination of the vacuum cleaner main body 13 is inclined to the lower rear side. It extends in a slanting manner toward the rear lower side of 13 and is in a state along the floor surface F.

  Then, the operator grips the grip portion 21 and operates a predetermined setting button 22 to drive the electric blower 62 in the operation mode set by the setting button 22 by the control means 67, and the floor brush 19 is moved to the floor. It travels in the front-rear direction on the surface F, and dust on the floor surface F is sucked together with air from the front end side of the floor brush 19 by the action of the negative pressure of the electric blower 62.

  The sucked air becomes a suction air and is sucked together with dust from the floor brush 19 through the extension pipe 18, the hose body 16 and the main body suction port 47 into the dust collecting portion.

  The suction air in which dust is collected by the dust collecting part is sucked into the suction side of the electric blower 62 through the communication part 64, and then passes while cooling the electric blower 62. The electric blower cover 61 is exhausted to the outside of the main body case 25 through the exhaust hole.

  When the cleaning is completed, the operator operates the predetermined setting button 22 so that the control unit 67 stops the driving of the electric blower 62.

  Then, by operating the cord take-up button, the power cord 31 with the plug portion 71 removed from the outlet is taken up on the cord reel 32. At this time, the power cord 31 runs along the floor surface F and is sequentially guided to the cord reel 32 while being guided from the lower side to the upper front side by the inclined surface 56 of the main body case 25 and called from the lower side to the front side. It is wound up.

  When a predetermined amount or more of dust has accumulated in the dust collecting portion, the main body lid 38 is opened and the dust collecting portion is removed from the main dust collecting chamber 26.

  In addition, when a dust collection part is a disposable dust collection bag etc., this dust collection part is discarded with the collected dust. Further, when the dust collecting unit is, for example, a dust collecting device, only the collected dust is discarded and the dust collecting unit is attached to the main body dust collecting chamber 26 again.

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the rear portion of the cord reel 32 on the cord outlet port 51 side is inclined downward with the rotary shaft 73 of the cord reel 32 being wound around the power cord 31. By tilting with respect to the vertical direction, for example, the cord reels are placed vertically, that is, compared with the case where the rotation axis is arranged along the left-right width direction, the arrangement space of the cord reels 32 is suppressed, and the body case 25 The power cord 31 can be easily wound around the cord reel 32 through the cord outlet 51 from the rear portion on the side of the cord outlet 51 inclined to the lower side of the cord reel 32.

  That is, in consideration of downsizing the main body case 25 and lowering the center of gravity of the cleaner body 13, when the cord reel 32 is disposed above the electric fan 62 (electric fan section 27) in the main body case 25, Since most of the power cord 31 runs along the floor surface F, when the power cord 31 is wound, the power cord 31 is wound up so that the power cord 31 is pulled up from the floor surface F to the cord reel 32 through the cord outlet 51. It is done. Therefore, by tilting the rear portion of the cord reel 32 downward, the power cord 31 is less likely to be entangled with the cord reel 32 when the power cord 31 is wound. Moreover, since the force required to pull up the power cord 31 to the cord reel 32 is smaller than when the cord reel 32 is arranged horizontally, the load of the mainspring spring 74 for rotating the cord reel 32, That is, the urging force of the mainspring spring 74 can be reduced, and the urging force of the mainspring spring 74 can cause the power cord 31 to damage the floor surface F or cause the plug portion 71 of the power cord 31 to jump up during winding. Can be prevented.

  Further, the vacuum cleaner body 13 has a center of gravity located behind the rotation center C of the traveling wheel 39, and the front side of the traveling body 39 of the main body case 25 is inclined upward. Due to this inclination, the cord reel 32 Since the rotary shaft 73 of the cord reel 32 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the rear portion of the cord reel 32 is inclined downward, the configuration in which the rear portion of the cord reel 32 is inclined downward can be easily realized, and the cleaner body 13 becomes a low center of gravity, improving running performance. Furthermore, since the lower part 41 of the main body case 25 is separated from the floor surface F, when traveling on the floor surface F, only the traveling wheels 39 come into contact with the floor surface F, improving turning performance and traveling. Sometimes it is easy to get over the steps on the floor F.

  In addition, by forming an inclined surface 56 inclined downward in the lower part of the cord outlet 51 of the main body case 25, the cord reel 32 from the lower side along the floor surface F when the power cord 31 is wound up. The power cord 31 that is wound up can be called into the cord reel 32, and the power cord 31 is more easily wound onto the cord reel 32.

  In addition, when the cord reel 32 is placed horizontally, the power cord 31 may be unwound toward the lower side of the cord reel 32 due to the weight of the power cord 31, and may protrude from or entangle with the cord reel 32. Therefore, by connecting the base end side of the power cord 31 to a position biased to the upper side of the cord reel 32, it becomes possible to wind the power cord 31 without being biased to the lower side with respect to the cord reel 32. The entanglement of the power cord 31 can be more effectively suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the cord outlet 51 can be disposed at an arbitrary position of the cleaner body 13 as long as the cord outlet 51 faces the side of the cord reel 32.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 13 only needs to be inclined downward in the state where at least the power cord 31 is wound around the cord reel 32. That is, the center of gravity of the cleaner body 13 may be any position except when the power cord 31 is wound.

  Further, the lower part 41 of the main body case 25 may be provided with a contact portion such as a swivel wheel for stably supporting the cleaner main body 13 with respect to the floor surface F.

  Further, as the rotation driving means, in addition to the mainspring spring 74, for example, a motor may be used.

  The details of the vacuum cleaner 11 are not limited to the above configuration.

It is a side view which cuts out a part and shows the vacuum cleaner of one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a part of electric vacuum cleaner same as the above from back. It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

11 Vacuum cleaner
13 Vacuum cleaner body
25 Main unit case
31 Power cord
32 cord reel
39 Wheel
51 Code outlet
56 Inclined surface
62 Electric blower
73 Rotating shaft
74 Mainspring spring as a rotation drive means

Claims (4)

A main body case, an electric blower housed in the main body case, a power cord for supplying power to the electric blower, and a cord reel rotatably housed above the electric blower of the main body case, at least the cord reel Rotation driving means for rotating the power cord in the winding direction, and a cord guide provided on the main body case so as to face the side portion of the cord reel and capable of inserting / removing the front end side of the power cord with respect to the main body case. A vacuum cleaner body having an outlet;
The electric vacuum cleaner, wherein the cord reel has a rotating shaft inclined with respect to a vertical direction so that the cord outlet side is inclined downward at least in a state where the power cord is wound. The cleaner body has traveling wheels rotatably attached to both sides of the body case, the center of gravity is located on the rear side of the rotation center of the traveling wheel, and the front side of the traveling wheel of the body case is Tilts upwards,
The code outlet is located at the rear of the cleaner body,
2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of the cord reel is inclined with respect to a vertical direction so that the cord outlet side is inclined downward due to the inclination of the vacuum cleaner body. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body case has an inclined surface inclined downward at a lower portion of the cord outlet. The electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a base end side of the power cord is connected to a position biased to an upper side of the cord reel.

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