JP2011229831A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner in which a tube part is made compact by simplifying the structure of the tube part and further the operation state of the vacuum cleaner can be satisfactorily displayed at a position easily visually recognizable by a user.SOLUTION: The vacuum cleaner 1 includes a cleaner body 2 with an electric blower 8, and the tube body 3 detachably connected to the cleaner body and to which a dust collection hose 20, an extension tube 25, and a suction port body 26 are connected in order. Operation state display means 30 having a light emission part 31 and a condensation/display part 32 and displaying the operation state of the vacuum cleaner is provided in the tube part 3. The light emission part 31 of the operation state display means is provided in a hand operation tube 22 of the dust collection hose body 20 and emits light according to the operation state of the vacuum cleaner. The condensation/display part 32 is provided in the suction port body 26 or in the suction port body side of the extension tube 25 and is configured to reflect and display the light radiated from the display part 31 and passed through space.

Description

  The embodiment of the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner capable of displaying an operation state of the vacuum cleaner.

  In a conventional vacuum cleaner, a light emitting part is installed in a suction port body of a pipe part that is detachably connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and the light emitting part emits light so that a user of the vacuum cleaner can easily recognize it. And what displays the driving | running state of a vacuum cleaner is known. In such a vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to extend power supply means such as a lead wire from the cleaner body to the light emitting unit.

JP-A-5-184507

  Some vacuum cleaners have a rotating brush that is driven by an electric motor at the suction port of the pipe. In such vacuum cleaners, lead wires, etc., from the main body of the vacuum cleaner to the electric motor. The power supply means is arranged.

  Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner in which the light emitting unit and the electric motor described above are installed in the suction port body of the tube unit, the power supply unit leading to the light emission unit and the power supply unit leading to the electric motor are provided in the tube unit. The structure of the pipe part becomes complicated, and the pipe part becomes large.

  The object of the embodiment of the present invention is made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the vacuum cleaner is simplified at the position where the user can easily recognize it while simplifying the structure of the tube portion and reducing the size of the tube portion. It is in providing the vacuum cleaner which can display the driving | running | working state favorably.

  The embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner body provided with an electric blower, a pipe portion that is detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body, and in which a dust collecting hose body, an extension pipe, and a suction port body are sequentially connected, In the vacuum cleaner, the tube portion is provided with an operation state display means for displaying the operation state of the vacuum cleaner having a light emission portion and a display portion, and the light emission portion of the operation state display means is The dust collecting hose body is installed on the hand control tube and emits light according to the operating state of the vacuum cleaner, the display unit is installed on the suction port body side of the suction port body or the extension tube, and the light emitting unit It is configured to reflect and display the light radiated from and passed through the space.

The perspective view which shows 1st Embodiment in the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention. The perspective view which shows the use condition of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 with a user. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the display part of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the display part of 2nd Embodiment in the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the display part of 3rd Embodiment in the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[A] First embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 3)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a perspective view which shows the use condition of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 with a user.

  The vacuum cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a cleaner main body 2 disposed on a surface to be cleaned 4 (FIG. 2) such as a floor or a carpet, and a pipe portion 3 removably connected to the cleaner main body 2.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 2 communicates with the main body case 5, a pair of wheels 6 pivotally supported on both sides of the main body case 5, a dust collection chamber 10 provided in the main body case 5, and the dust collection chamber 10. The electric blower 8, the main body control unit 9 that controls driving of the electric blower 8, and the power cord 11 that guides electric power to the electric blower 8 are provided.

  The main body case 5 has a main body connection port 12 communicated with the dust collection chamber 10. The dust collection unit 7 is accommodated in the dust collection chamber 10. The dust collecting unit 7 separates and collects dust from air (dust-containing air) containing dust sucked into the vacuum cleaner 1 by the negative pressure generated by the electric blower 8. The wheel 6 is a large-diameter traveling wheel for traveling of the cleaner body 2. Furthermore, the power cord 11 includes a power plug 14 at the free end.

  The main body control unit 9 has a plurality of preset operation modes. Each operation mode is associated with an operation signal input from the pipe section 3 and set with different output values to the electric blower 8. The main body control unit 9 selectively selects an arbitrary operation mode from a plurality of operation modes in response to the operation signal input from the pipe unit 3, and drives the electric blower 8.

  The pipe portion 3 sucks dust-containing air from the surface to be cleaned 4 and guides it to the cleaner body 2 by the negative pressure acting from the cleaner body 2 as the electric blower 8 is operated. The pipe part 3 is detachably connected to the main body connection port 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 2, and a dust collection hose body 20 including a connection pipe 19, a dust collection hose 21, and a hand operation pipe 22 connected in communication with each other; The dust collection hose body 20 includes an extension pipe 25 that is detachably connected to and communicates with a hand operation pipe 22 of the dust collection hose body 20 and a suction port body 26 that is detachably connected to the extension pipe 25 and communicates therewith.

  The connection pipe 19 of the dust collection hose body 20 is detachably connected to the main body connection port 12 of the cleaner body 2. Moreover, the dust collection hose 21 of the dust collection hose body 20 is formed in an elongated substantially cylindrical shape having flexibility. A hose cover 27 covers a connection portion between the dust collection hose 21 and the connection pipe 19. Further, a gripping portion 23 is provided on the hand control tube 22 of the dust collection hose body 20, and an operation portion 24 is provided on the gripping portion 23. The grip portion 23 is for the user 38 (FIG. 2) of the vacuum cleaner 1 to grip and operate the vacuum cleaner 1. The grip portion 23 protrudes from the other end portion side of the hand operation tube 22 and is bent toward one end portion of the hand operation tube 22.

  The operation unit 24 includes a switch corresponding to each operation mode. Specifically, the operation unit 24 includes a stop switch 24A that operates to stop the operation of the electric blower 8, and a start switch 24B that operates to start the operation of the electric blower 8. The start switch 24B may include a weak operation switch (not shown), a medium operation switch (not shown), and a strong operation switch (not shown). A user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1 operates the operation unit 24 to selectively select an operation mode of the electric blower 8.

  The extension tube 25 is formed in an elongated and substantially cylindrical shape that can be expanded and contracted. The extension pipe 25 is formed in a telescopic structure by superposing a plurality of cylindrical bodies. One end of the extension pipe 25 is detachably connected to the other end of the hand operation tube 22 of the dust collection hose body 20, and is connected via the dust collection hose body 20 (the hand operation tube 22, the dust collection hose 21 and the connection tube 19). It communicates with the interior of the vacuum cleaner body 2.

  The suction port body 26 is detachably connected to the other end of the extension pipe 25 and communicates with the inside of the cleaner body 2 via the extension pipe 25 and the dust collecting hose body 20. Further, the suction port body 26 is configured to be able to travel on the surface to be cleaned 4 such as a floor or a carpet, and has a suction port 28 on the bottom surface side facing the surface to be cleaned 4 in the traveling state.

  When the start switch 24 </ b> B is operated, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 drives the electric blower 8 in the cleaner body 2 to apply a negative pressure (suction negative pressure) in the dust collection chamber 10 of the cleaner body 2. This negative pressure acts on the suction port 28 of the suction port body 26 from the main body connection port 12 through the dust collecting hose body 20 and the extension pipe 25. Due to the negative pressure acting on the suction port 28, the vacuum cleaner 1 cleans the surface 4 to be cleaned by sucking dust accumulated on the surface 4 to be cleaned together with air from the suction port 28. The dust-containing air sucked from the suction port 28 is separated into air and dust by the dust collecting unit 7 accommodated in the dust collecting chamber 10. The separated dust is collected by the dust collecting unit 7. On the other hand, the separated air passes through the dust collecting unit 7, is sucked into the electric blower 8, and is discharged from the cleaner body 2.

  By the way, the operating state display means 30 which has the light emission part 31 and the condensing and display part 32 as a display part in the pipe part 3 by which the dust collection hose body 20, the extension pipe | tube 25, and the suction inlet 26 are connected in order. Is installed. This operation state display means 30 displays the current operation state of the vacuum cleaner 1. Here, the operation state of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes the operation mode of the electric blower 8 (start, stop, suction negative pressure intensity, etc.), dust suction state (a little amount of dust suction, whether dust is sucked, etc.) ), The dust collecting unit 7 is full, or the dust collecting unit 7 is not loaded.

  The light emitting unit 31 is configured to include a single or a plurality of light emitters such as LEDs (light emitting diodes), for example, and is installed in the hand operation tube 22 of the dust collecting hose body 20. This light emission part 31 changes a light emission state according to the driving | running state of the vacuum cleaner 1, for example, changes a light quantity, makes it blink, or changes a color.

  The condensing / display unit 32 is installed on the suction port body side of the suction port body 26 or the extension pipe 25, and condenses and reflects the light α emitted from the light emitting unit 31 and passing through the space. As shown in FIG. 3, the condensing / display unit 32 is configured such that a condensing unit 34 is integrally provided with the display unit 33.

  That is, the condensing / display unit 32 is configured such that the upstream portion in the traveling direction of the light α in the single cylindrical casing 35 is the condensing portion 34 and the downstream portion is the display portion 33. And as for this casing 35, the upstream part which functions as the condensing part 34 expands in the upstream direction of the light (alpha) rather than the downstream part which functions as the display part 33, and is formed in a trumpet shape.

  The condensing unit 34 is configured such that a reflecting member 37 such as a mirror or silver plating is disposed on the inner surface of the upstream portion of the light α in the casing 35. The reflecting member 37 reflects and collects the light α emitted from the light emitting unit 31 and guides it to the display unit 33.

  The display unit 33 is configured by installing one or a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) reflecting members 36 inside the downstream portion of the light α in the casing 35. The reflecting member 36 is, for example, an end plate, and the light α emitted from the light emitting unit 31 and collected by the condensing unit 34 is reflected on the head 39 of the user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1 as shown in FIG. Reflect in the direction.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects (1) to (3) are obtained.

  (1) The condensing / display unit 32 installed on the suction port body side of the pipe part 3 or the extension pipe 25 in the pipe part 3 collects and reflects the light emitted from the light emitting part 31 and passing through the space. Since the operation state of the vacuum cleaner 1 is displayed, it is not necessary to extend a power supply member such as a lead wire to the light collecting / display unit 32.

  When the light emitting unit 31 is installed on the suction port body side of the suction port body 26 or the extension tube 25, power supply means such as a lead wire must be extended from the cleaner body 2 to the light emitting unit 31. In particular, when the rotary brush installed in the suction port body 26 is driven using an electric motor, the power supply means extends from the cleaner body 2 to the electric motor. Therefore, when the power feeding means for the light emitting part 31 and the power feeding means for the electric motor are extended from the cleaner body 2 to the suction port body 26 and the like, the structure of the pipe part 3 is complicated, and the pipe part 3 is It will increase in size.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, power supply means such as a lead wire is extended from the cleaner body 2 up to the light emitting unit 31 installed in the hand operation tube 22, but the suction port body 26 or the extension tube 25 The condensing / display unit 32 installed on the suction port side does not require a power feeding means. In addition, it is not necessary to provide an optical member such as an optical fiber between the light emitting unit 31 and the light collecting / display unit 32. As a result, the structure of the pipe part 3 is simplified, the pipe part can be reduced in size, and the electric cleaning is performed at a position where the user 38 can easily see (position on the suction port body side of the suction port body 26 or the extension pipe 25). The operating state of the machine 1 can be displayed well.

  (2) Since the reflecting member 36 of the display unit 33 in the condensing / display unit 32 is configured to reflect the light α from the light emitting unit 31 toward the head 39 of the user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1 can easily recognize the light α from the display unit 33 and can accurately recognize the operation state of the vacuum cleaner 1. Furthermore, the influence of light from the display unit 33 can be reduced for persons other than the user 38.

  (3) The display unit 33 of the light collection / display unit 32 is provided with a light collection unit 34 on the upstream side of the light α emitted from the light emission unit 31, and the light α from the light emission unit 31 enters the light collection unit 34. Since the light is collected and guided to the display unit 33, the intensity of the light α reflected by the reflection member 36 of the display unit 33 is increased. As a result, the visibility of the driving state display by the display unit 33 can be improved.

[B] Second embodiment (FIG. 4)
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a display unit of the second embodiment in the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is simplified or omitted.

  The vacuum cleaner of this embodiment is different from the vacuum cleaner 1 of the first embodiment in that the display unit 41 is replaced with a suction port instead of the condensing / display unit 32 of the first embodiment. It is a point installed on the suction port body side of the body 26 or the extension pipe 25.

  The display unit 41 includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces 43 that continuously reflect and display the light α emitted from the light emitting unit 31 and passing through the space on the curved surface of the housing 42 having a concave curved surface. It is arranged in a concave shape. These reflecting surfaces 43 are formed of a mirror, silver plating, or the like, and reflect and collect the light α from the light emitting unit 31 in different directions. A part of the condensed light reaches the head 39 of the user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1 from the display unit 41.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the same effect (1) as the first embodiment, the following effect (4) is achieved.

  (4) Since the light α from the light emitting unit 31 is reflected and collected by the plurality of reflecting surfaces 43 arranged in a concave shape in the display unit 41, the intensity of the light α is increased by the display unit 41. It is done. As a result, the visibility of the driving state display by the display unit 41 can be improved.

[C] Third embodiment (FIG. 5)
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a display unit of a third embodiment in the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is simplified or omitted.

  The vacuum cleaner of this embodiment is different from the vacuum cleaner 1 of the first embodiment in that the display unit 45 is replaced with a suction port instead of the condensing / display unit 32 of the first embodiment. It is a point installed on the suction port body side of the body 26 or the extension pipe 25.

  The display unit 45 reflects the light α emitted from the light emitting unit 31 and passed through the space on the curved surface of the housing 46 having a hemispherical or semi-cylindrical convex curved surface, and displays a plurality of reflections. The surface 47 is configured to be continuously arranged in a convex shape. These reflecting surfaces 47 are formed of a mirror, silver plating or the like, and diffuse and reflect the light α from the light emitting portion 31 in different directions. A part of the diffused and reflected light reaches the head 39 of the user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, in addition to the same effect as the effect (1) of the first embodiment, the following effect (5) is obtained.

  (5) Since the plurality of reflecting surfaces 47 in the display unit 45 are continuously arranged in a convex shape, the light α from the light emitting unit 31 can be diffused in different directions by these reflecting surfaces 47. As a result, even when the user 38 of the vacuum cleaner 1 changes the line-of-sight position, the light from the display unit 45 can be viewed well.

  According to each embodiment described above, the display unit (condensing / display unit 32, display unit 41, display unit) installed on the suction port body side of the suction port body 26 or the extension pipe 25 in the tube unit 3 is used. Up to 45), since it is not necessary to extend a power supply member such as a lead wire from the cleaner body 2, the structure of the tube portion 3 can be simplified and the tube portion 3 can be miniaturized. For this reason, the operation state of the vacuum cleaner 1 can be satisfactorily displayed at the position on the suction port body side of the suction port body 26 or the extension pipe 25 that is easily visible to the user 38.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric vacuum cleaner 2 Vacuum cleaner main body 3 Pipe part 8 Electric blower 20 Dust collection hose body 22 Hand operation pipe 25 Extension pipe 26 Suction port body 30 Operating state display means 31 Light emission part 32 Condensing / display part (display part)
33 Display unit 34 Condensing unit 36, 37 Reflective member 38 User 39 User's head 41 Display unit 43 Reflective surface 45 Display unit 47 Reflective surface α Light

Claims (6)

In a vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner body provided with an electric blower, and a pipe part that is detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body and in which a dust collecting hose body, an extension pipe and a suction port body are sequentially connected,
The tube part is provided with an operation state display means for displaying the operation state of the vacuum cleaner having a light emitting part and a display part,
The light emitting part of the operation state display means is installed on the hand control tube of the dust collecting hose body and emits light according to the operation state of the vacuum cleaner,
The display unit is installed on the suction port body side of the suction port body or the extension pipe, and is configured to reflect and display the light emitted from the light emitting unit and passed through the space. Vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to include a reflection member that reflects light emitted from the light emitting unit toward a user's head. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces that reflect light emitted from the light emitting unit and are continuously arranged in a concave shape. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces that reflect light emitted from the light emitting unit and are continuously arranged in a convex shape. The display unit is provided with a condensing unit, and the condensing unit is configured to reflect and collect light from the light emitting unit and guide the light to the display unit by a reflecting member provided on the inner surface. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the reflecting member or the reflecting surface is configured by a mirror plate or silver plating.

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