JP2011156220A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cyclone-type vacuum cleaner having sufficient deodorization/sterilization properties and excellent hygiene by introducing a large quantity of ozone to dust in a dust collecting part. <P>SOLUTION: A cleaner body 5 includes a hose connecting part 7 to be connected with a hose 4, a suction duct 8, a cyclone unit 30 having a whirling part 32 and the dust collecting part 31, a suction power part 12 disposed in a downstream from the cyclone unit 30, an ozone generating part 20 and a control part. The ozone generating part 20 includes a connection opening 9 communicating with the duct 8, an ozone producing part 22 and an ozone storing part 21. The control part so controls the ozone generating part 20 as to operate at cleaning-stop of the cleaner and the power part 12 as to instantly introduce the ozone generated from the ozone generating part 20 and stored in the ozone storing part 21 in a direction of the power part 12 after a specified time t1 passes from operation of the ozone generating part 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner having a function of performing deodorization and sterilization in a vacuum cleaner and keeping the interior of the vacuum cleaner clean, and in particular, a cyclone method of improving deodorization efficiency and sterilization efficiency by utilizing ozone. It relates to a vacuum cleaner.

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of hygiene, a vacuum cleaner is required to keep the inside of the cleaner clean. Generally, after using a vacuum cleaner a plurality of times, waste such as dust accumulated in the dust collecting part is often discarded. Accordingly, dust is accumulated in the dust collecting portion for a long period of time. Therefore, the odor component and various germs contained in the trash are propagated inside the vacuum cleaner, and the hygiene in the vacuum cleaner is impaired. In addition, when the vacuum cleaner is activated, the odor components and germs inside the vacuum cleaner are discharged into the room together with the exhaust flow, resulting in discomfort to the user.

  In order to reduce this, a vacuum cleaner is proposed that is equipped with technologies such as deodorizing function and disinfecting function by providing ozone generating means in the vacuum cleaner and generating ozone by simple operation. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). Ozone (O3) is very unstable and has a characteristic of giving one of oxygen atoms to another substance to become a stable oxygen molecule (O2). That is, ozone has a strong oxidizing power. The electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 uses the oxidizing power of ozone to deodorize and sterilize the inside of the vacuum cleaner.

JP 2003-325404 A (pages 4 to 6, FIGS. 1 to 7)

However, the cyclone type vacuum cleaner with a long air path to the dust collection unit has at least a swivel unit between the dust collection unit and the ozone transport distance to the dust in the dust collection unit is long. The amount of ozone required for deodorizing and sterilizing the dust in the dust collection part can be introduced unless a large amount of ozone is generated. I can't.
Therefore, for example, in a vacuum cleaner having a function of restricting the generation of ozone as described in Patent Document 1, when a cyclone type vacuum cleaner is used, deodorization is performed on the dust in a dust collecting portion where dust is collected. Insufficient ozone for sterilization. Therefore, there is a problem that a sufficient deodorizing / sterilizing effect cannot be obtained so as not to make the user uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has sufficient deodorization and sterilization performance for the user to clean comfortably by introducing a large amount of ozone to the dust in the dust collecting part. An object of the present invention is to provide a cyclone type electric vacuum cleaner excellent in hygiene.

  The vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises a suction port, a suction pipe, a connection pipe, a hose, and a vacuum cleaner body, which are sequentially connected, and the vacuum cleaner body includes a hose connection portion connected to the hose, A ventilation path formed by sequentially connecting a suction air path and a cyclone unit having a swivel unit and a dust collection part, a suction power unit disposed downstream of the ventilation path, and a part of the ventilation path The generated ozone generator and the ozone generator are controlled to operate when the operation of the suction power unit is stopped, and the ozone generated from the ozone generator after the predetermined time has elapsed after the ozone generator operates. And a control unit for controlling the suction power unit so as to guide to

  According to the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, the vacuum cleaner main body has a ventilation passage formed by sequentially connecting a hose connection portion connected to the hose, a suction air passage, and a cyclone unit having a swivel portion and a dust collection portion. A suction power section disposed downstream of the ventilation path, an ozone generation section disposed in a part of the ventilation path, and controlling the ozone generation section to operate when the suction power section is stopped. And a control unit that controls the suction power unit so as to guide the ozone generated from the ozone generation unit in the direction of the suction power unit after a lapse of a predetermined time from the operation of the generation unit. Suppresses ozone diffusion, accumulates ozone, guides ozone at a high concentration to the dust collection part at once, suppresses ozone disappearance due to the oxidation reaction of packing and wall surface in the air passage and ozone, dust in the dust collection part Can lead to a large amount of ozone. This makes it possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that has sufficient deodorization and sterilization performance and excellent hygiene for the user to perform comfortable cleaning.

It is an external view of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on this Embodiment 1. FIG. It is side surface sectional drawing of the vacuum cleaner main body 5 shown in FIG. It is a block diagram of the ozone production | generation part shown in FIG. It is a block diagram of the control circuit 50 mounted in the cleaner body 5 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control performed by a control circuit 50 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart figure of the suction power operation | movement flow shown in FIG. It is a time chart figure of operation of an ozone generation part and a suction power part. It is another side surface sectional drawing of the vacuum cleaner main body 5 shown in FIG. It is another side surface sectional drawing of the vacuum cleaner main body 5 shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is an external view of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a suction port 1, a suction pipe 2, a connection pipe 3, a hose 4, a cyclone cleaner body 5, and a power cord 6. The suction port 1 sucks in dust and air containing dust on the floor. One end of a straight cylindrical suction pipe 2 is connected to the outlet side of the suction port 1. The other end of the suction pipe 2 is provided with a handle provided with an operation switch 2a for controlling the operation of the vacuum cleaner 100, and one end of the connection pipe 3 bent slightly in the middle is connected. One end of a flexible bellows-like hose 4 is connected to the other end of the connection pipe 3. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner main body 5 is connected to the other end of the hose 4. A power cord 6 is connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 5, and the power cord 6 is connected to an external power source, thereby energizing and operating. The suction port 1, the suction pipe 2, the connection pipe 3, and the hose 4 constitute a part of a flow path for allowing dust-containing air to flow from the outside to the inside of the cleaner body 5.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the electric vacuum cleaner main body 5 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner main body 5 of the electric vacuum cleaner 100 has a hose connection portion 7 connected to the hose 4, a suction air passage 8, and ozone generation connected to the suction air passage 8 through a connection port 9. The part 20, the cyclone unit 30, the connection air path 10, the filter part 11, and the suction power part 12 are provided. In addition, the cleaner body 5 is provided with a control board, a display unit, a cord reel unit, a wheel, an exhaust port, and the like (not shown).
The air that flows in from the outside of the cleaner body 5 passes through the hose connection portion 7 and the suction air passage 8 and is filtered by the cyclone unit 30, and the filtered air is connected to the connection air passage 10, the filter portion 11, and the like. The suction power unit 12 and an exhaust port (not shown) are sequentially passed through the vacuum cleaner main body 5 to be discharged.

The ozone generation unit 20 includes an ozone storage unit 21 and an ozone generation unit 22. The ozone generated by the ozone generator 22 is temporarily stored in the ozone storage unit 21 and concentrated.
The ozone generation unit 22 is separated from the ozone storage unit 21 by a flame retardant case.

  The ozone generator 22 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the ozone generator 22 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the ozone generator 22 is composed of a discharge electrode 22a and a ground electrode 22b. The structure is such that corona discharge is generated when a high voltage is applied to the needle-like discharge electrode 22a. Here, the ozone generator 22 is not limited to this shape, and may be one using creeping discharge or barrier discharge. Moreover, you may use methods other than discharge, such as an ultraviolet lamp. However, the ozone generation method using discharge, especially corona discharge, has a stable amount of ozone generation and can generate a sufficiently high ozone concentration even in a small and simple shape. It is easy to adjust and, for example, the ozone concentration can be changed in accordance with the amount of dust being held, so it is suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner.

The ozone storage part 21 is good to be comprised with the member which is hard to react with ozone. For example, noble metals with stable materials such as stainless steel, gold and platinum having an oxide film, and materials coated with an antioxidant or a gold thin film on the surface are suitable for oxidation and suitable.
The ozone storage unit 21 is preferably grounded. When discharge is used for the ozone generation unit 22, ions are generated together with ozone. If ions are accumulated, sparks are likely to be scattered in the ozone generation unit 22, so that the generation of ozone becomes unstable, and it becomes difficult to adjust the amount of ozone held in the ozone storage unit 21.

  The connection port 9 is configured by a mesh shape or a plurality of openings, and serves to prevent dust that passes through the suction air passage 8 from entering the ozone generation unit 20. As with the ozone storage unit 21, the connection port 9 is preferably made of a member that does not easily react with ozone. That is, it is preferable that the connection port 9 and the ozone generation unit 20 are integrally configured.

Next, the cyclone unit 30 will be described.
The cyclone unit 30 includes a dust collection unit 31 and a turning unit 32. The revolving unit 32 is connected to the suction air passage 8 and the connection air passage 10 so as to be removable from the cleaner body 5. The dust contained in the air that has passed through the suction air passage 8 is centrifuged by the swivel unit 32 and collected by the dust collection unit 31.

  The swivel unit 32 is preferably installed at a position higher than the dust collection unit 31 with reference to the bottom surface of the cleaner body 5 shown in FIG. As will be described in detail later, in the electric vacuum cleaner of the first embodiment, when the operation of sucking dust of the electric vacuum cleaner 100 is stopped, the ozone generation unit 22 is operated, and ozone is stored in the ozone storage unit. After a large amount is stored in 21, the stored ozone is guided from the ozone storage unit 21 to the dust collecting unit 31 by operating the suction power unit 12. At this time, ozone is guided into the cyclone unit 30 by the air sucked by the operation of the suction power unit 12, but since ozone is heavier than air, it is connected to the suction air passage 8 and the sucked air passes through. If the swivel unit 32 in which ozone is likely to accumulate is located higher than the dust collection unit 31, after the suction power unit 12 stops, the ozone flows into the dust collection unit 31 from the swivel unit 32 due to its own weight, and odors and bacteria of garbage It becomes easy to come into contact with, and the deodorizing and sterilizing effect is enhanced.

The filter unit 11 will be described.
The filter unit 11 may have a performance of removing ozone. Since the filter unit 11 has an ozone removing performance, the filter unit 11 removes ozone contained in the air before the air is exhausted during the operation of the suction power unit 12, so that ozone with a higher concentration is used. Even if it generates, ozone is not leaked into the space outside the vacuum cleaner main body 5, and it becomes possible to enhance the effect of deodorizing and sterilizing garbage without making the user feel the ozone odor. .
Furthermore, the filter part 11 is good to have a deodorizing performance and a bacteria capturing performance as well as an ozone removing performance. The function of deodorization and sterilization in the filter unit 11 itself can cause the odor and bacteria collected on the filter unit 11 to collide with ozone when the filter unit 11 removes ozone. By this contact, ozone reacts with odors and bacteria to generate odorless and harmless water and carbon dioxide, so that the filter unit 11 is regenerated. Therefore, the effect of deodorizing and sterilizing dust can be further enhanced.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit mounted on the cleaner body 5 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the control circuit 50 includes an operation switch 2 a, a cyclone unit connection confirmation sensor 13, a hose connection confirmation sensor 14, and a signal processing unit 51 that processes an input received from the hose connection confirmation sensor 14, An ozone generation unit control unit 52 that receives an instruction from the signal processing unit and inputs to the external display unit 15 and the ozone generation unit 22, and a suction power unit control that receives an instruction from the signal processing unit and inputs to the suction power unit 12 The unit 53 is configured. The cyclone unit connection confirmation sensor 13 is a sensor for confirming that the cyclone unit 30 is connected. For example, the cyclone unit connection confirmation sensor 13 is configured by a limit switch or the like, and is turned on when connected, and turned off when not connected. It is comprised so that. The hose connection confirmation sensor 14 is a sensor for confirming that the hose 4 is connected to the cleaner body 5, and is constituted by, for example, a limit switch.
The signal processing unit 51 controls the display unit 15, the ozone generation unit control unit 52, and the suction power unit control by the ON / OFF of the operation switch 2 a, the cyclone unit connection confirmation sensor 13, and the hose connection confirmation sensor 14 ON signal. A predetermined command is sent to the unit 53 to control the operations of the ozone generation unit 22 and the suction power unit 12.

First, when receiving a signal from the operation switch 2a, the control circuit 50 is activated to start an ozone generation operation. Here, the input from the operation switch 2a corresponds to when the user presses the ozone generation button or the end button of the cleaning operation, which is a component of the operation switch 2a, although not shown. A signal to be generated is generated and transmitted to the signal processing unit 51 of the control circuit 50. When the signal processing unit 51 receives a signal from the operation switch 2a, the signal processing unit 51 starts the operation, and first checks whether the hose 4 is connected and whether the cyclone unit 30 is installed (step S1, S2). If at least one of them is off, the signal processing unit 51 displays an error message to that effect on the display unit 15 and stops the operation of the ozone generation unit 22 (steps S8 and S9). By performing this operation, it is possible to prevent leakage of ozone from the hose connection port, and to allow the user to check whether there is a deodorization or sterilization target due to ozone. Here, the operations of steps S1, S2, S8, and S9 are continuously performed while the control is being performed.
Next, the signal processing unit 51 controls the ozone generation unit control unit 52 to operate the ozone generation unit 22, starts counting the ozone generation operation time, and further displays a message indicating the start of ozone generation on the display unit 15. Is output (steps S3 and S4). Then, after the predetermined time t1 has elapsed, the signal processing unit 51 controls the suction power unit control unit 53 to start the operation of the suction power unit 12 (steps P1 and P2).
When the time t2 further elapses, the signal processing unit 51 controls the ozone generation unit control unit 52 to stop the operation of the ozone generation unit 22 (steps P3 and P4). When the time t3 has elapsed, the signal processing unit 51 51 controls the ozone generation unit control unit 52 to stop the operation of the suction operation unit 12 (steps P5 and P6), stops the time count (step S7), and ends the operation.

Next, the effect of the first embodiment will be described.
Generally, the ozone concentration to be generated can be calculated by the following equation, for example.

Ozone amount = ozone generation amount per unit time x generation time (seconds) (1)
Ozone concentration inside the vacuum cleaner (ppm) = Amount of ozone / Volume inside the vacuum cleaner (mm3) (2)

  According to the above formulas (1) and (2), the ozone generation amount per unit time of the ozone generation unit and the volume inside the cleaner are known, so by controlling the energization time to the ozone generation unit, It is possible to fill the vacuum cleaner with a desired concentration of ozone. Therefore, deodorization and sterilization inside the vacuum cleaner can be performed safely and efficiently without generating ozone more than necessary.

  However, when the distance between the place where ozone is generated and the object to react with ozone are long and the movement distance of ozone is long, ozone reacts with the components of the air path and the like in the guided air path, and disappears. Therefore, in the cyclone type vacuum cleaner, the deodorized and sterilized garbage by ozone is stored in the dust collection part, and the distance between the ozone generation part and the dust collection part that is the target of ozone is separated, It is necessary to consider the equation (2) as follows.

Ozone loss = reaction amount of ozone with materials per unit time
× Time (seconds) required to reach the place where ozone is introduced (3)

(I) When the amount of ozone minus the amount of ozone lost> 0 The ozone concentration (ppm) where ozone is introduced
= (Ozone amount-Ozone disappearance amount) / Volume inside the vacuum cleaner (mm3) (4)
(Ii) When the amount of ozone minus the amount of ozone lost ≦ 0, the ozone concentration (ppm) where ozone is introduced (ppm) = 0 (4)

  That is, if a sufficient amount of ozone cannot be ensured, ozone having a concentration higher than a predetermined level cannot be guided to the object to react with ozone, and deodorizing and sterilizing effects cannot be obtained. Therefore, the form and operation of the vacuum cleaner main body 5 as described above are required.

FIG. 7 shows a time chart of the operations of the ozone generator 22 and the suction power unit. By the control shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ozone generator 22 and the suction power unit 12 perform ON / OFF operations as shown in FIG. 5.
First, the ozone generation unit 22 operates for a predetermined time t1, and ozone is stored in the ozone storage unit 21. Then, the suction power unit 12 starts to operate so that the ozone stored in the ozone storage unit 21 is guided to the dust collection unit 31. Then, after the elapse of time t2, the operation of the ozone generator 22 stops, and after the time t3 when the ozone is sufficiently guided to the dust collection unit 31, the operation of the suction power unit 12 stops.
Note that the time required for t1, t2, and t3 is determined in advance by measurement.
Here, the target is at t1 and t2. By sufficiently securing t1, by storing ozone in the ozone storage unit 21, the concentration of the ozone generator that can obtain only a predetermined amount of ozone generation is concentrated, and ozone generation is continued at the next t2. The suction power unit 12 is operated at a time at the time t2 and the next t3, and the ozone is sucked and guided to the dust collecting unit 31 to obtain the formula (4) described above.

      Ozone amount-ozone disappearance amount> 0

Can be satisfied.

  The suction wind speed obtained by the suction power unit 12 should be as fast as possible in order to shorten the time (seconds) required to reach the ozone guiding position described in the formula (3). The swirling of the air current occurs and the moving distance of ozone becomes long. Therefore, the wind speed region should be such that no swirling of the air current occurs, and it is desirable to lower the suction wind speed at least than during the operation when separating dust.

  When the amount of ozone necessary for deodorization and sterilization cannot be obtained by a single operation, the above operation may be repeated. However, when the ozone concentration of the dust collection part 31 increases, ozone may leak from the dust collection part 31, and ozone may leak from an exhaust port. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an ozone sensor between the filter unit 11 and the suction power unit 12 and to have a function of stopping the ozone generation / suction operation when the value of the ozone sensor exceeds the upper limit value.

  In addition, although the ozone storage part 21 was provided in the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this Embodiment 1, the installation of the ozone storage part 21 is not specifically limited, The state which can store ozone instead of the ozone storage part 21 is used. What is necessary is just to have the method which can be produced in the vacuum cleaner main body 5. FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a lid for closing the suction air passage 8 may be provided between the hose connection portion 7 and the ozone generation portion 22 when the ozone generation portion 22 is operated. Since ozone is heavier than air, in the main body 5 of the vacuum cleaner, when ozone naturally diffuses, it flows toward the hose connection portion 7. Therefore, if the cover body 16 is provided between the hose connection portion 7 and the ozone generation portion 20, a space for temporarily storing ozone in the suction air passage 9 can be created. However, since the dust suction operation is hindered when the lid 16 is closed, the lid 16 may be configured to open when the dust suction power unit 12 is in operation. For example, a hinge is attached to the suction air passage 8 and one end of the lid 16 is pivotally supported by the hinge so that the hinge can be rotated about the rotation shaft. In general, the lid 16 closes the suction air passage 8 by gravity, and the suction air passage 8 is opened by the suction force of the suction power portion when the suction power portion 12 is operated.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, you may make the angle of the hose connection part 7 upward with respect to a bottom face. By using this structure, the amount of saving is slightly reduced, but a space for saving ozone in a space-saving manner can be secured by the space between the hose connection portion 7 and the bottom surface in the suction air passage 8.

  1 suction port, 2 suction pipe, 3 connection pipe, 4 hose, 5 vacuum cleaner body, 6 power cord, 7 hose connection part, 8 suction air path, 9 connection port, 10 connection air path, 11 filter part, 12 suction power 13, cyclone unit connection confirmation sensor, 14 hose connection confirmation sensor, 15 display unit, 16 lid, 20 ozone generation unit, 21 ozone storage unit, 22 ozone generation unit, 22 a discharge electrode, 22 b ground electrode, 30 cyclone unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 Dust collection part, 32 Turning part, 50 Control circuit, 51 Signal processing part, 52 Ozone production | generation part control part, 53 Suction power part control part, 100 Vacuum cleaner

Claims (12)

It consists of a suction port, a suction pipe, a connection pipe, a hose, and a vacuum cleaner body connected in sequence,
The vacuum cleaner body has a ventilation path formed by sequentially connecting a hose connection part connected to the hose, a suction air path, and a cyclone unit having a swivel part and a dust collection part,
A suction power unit disposed downstream of the ventilation path;
An ozone generator disposed in a part of the ventilation path;
The ozone generating unit is controlled to operate when the suction power unit is stopped, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the ozone generating unit has been operated, the ozone generated from the ozone generating unit is guided toward the suction power unit. And a controller for controlling the suction power unit.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the hose connection portion is formed to have an upward angle with respect to a bottom surface of the vacuum cleaner body. The ozone generation unit includes an ozone storage unit that stores ozone, and an ozone generation unit,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ozone storage unit has a connection port formed to communicate with the ventilation path.   Between the ozone generation part and the hose connection part of the ventilation path, a lid body that closes the ventilation path by gravity is provided between the start of the operation of the ozone generation part and the start of the operation of the suction power part. The electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein when the suction power unit is operated, the cover body opens the ventilation path by a suction force of the suction power unit.   The electricity according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a filter unit disposed downstream of the cyclone unit and configured to remove fine dust and ozone in the air cleaned by the cyclone unit. Vacuum cleaner.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the filter unit includes a material having an ozone removing performance.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the material further adsorbs odors other than ozone.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least one ozone sensor unit is installed between the hose connection unit and the suction power unit.   The electricity according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the controller controls the suction power unit to operate with a lower suction force than the dust suction operation during the operation of the ozone generation unit. Vacuum cleaner.   The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the suction power unit repeats start and stop a plurality of times during operation of the ozone generation unit.   The swivel unit is located at a position higher than the dust collection unit with respect to the bottom surface when the bottom surface of the cleaner body is on the floor surface side. The vacuum cleaner described.

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