JP2013063117A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner capable of reducing noise generated in a suction port unit.SOLUTION: The vacuum cleaner body 1 sucks dust together with airflow generated by driving an electric fan 4 through a suction port 16 of a suction port unit 10, and guides the airflow to a dust collector 5 to collect dust. A connection pipe 12 communicating with the suction port 16 is connected to the suction port unit 10. At least the outer periphery of part of the connection pipe 12 is covered with a cover 30. An expansion compartment 35 communicating with the interior of the connection pipe 12 is formed between the cover 30 and the connection pipe 12. The interior of the connection pipe 12 communicates with the expansion compartment 35 via a plurality of pores 36 formed on the connection pipe 12. The connection pipe 12 is formed with a small-diameter portion 12a with an inner diameter smaller than that of portions on the front and back formed in a section covered with the cover 30. The expansion compartment 35 has sound-absorbing materials 37 arranged inside thereof, and is provided with a fresh air intake 38.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner.

  Using a vacuum cleaner generates a lot of noise. The main noise source is the electric blower in the main body, but noise is also generated in the suction port due to various factors. In particular, in a suction port body equipped with a rotating brush driven by a motor, the operation sound of the motor itself, noise generated by a transmission mechanism that transmits rotational force from the motor to the rotating brush, and the rotating brush hit the floor surface. The noise that is rubbed and the wind noise caused by the flow of air around the rotating brush overlap, resulting in a louder noise than the normal suction port.

  Various efforts have been made to reduce the noise of vacuum cleaners. Lowering the noise of the suction port is part of that. The example of the device made | formed in order to reduce the noise of a suction inlet body can be seen in patent document 1,2.

  In the suction port body described in Patent Document 1, a suction port is formed on the bottom surface of the main body housing, and a suction chamber narrowed from the suction port toward the center is formed. A rotary brush is disposed at the suction port, and this rotary brush is driven by a motor. The motor storage chamber for storing the motor communicates with the outside through a first air intake hole formed on the rear surface of the main body casing, and is formed on a first partition wall formed perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary brush. It communicates with the suction chamber through one exhaust hole. Of the first intake hole and the first exhaust hole, at least the first exhaust hole is covered with a sound-absorbing material having air permeability. In this suction port body, the air around the rear portion is sucked into the motor housing chamber from the first intake hole by the suction force acting during cleaning, cools the motor, and is discharged from the first exhaust hole to the suction chamber. Air is absorbed when passing through the sound absorbing material. Further, unpleasant noise that is about to occur near the first exhaust hole is also absorbed by the sound absorbing material.

  The suction port described in Patent Document 2 has a rotating brush driven by a turbine. A guide channel is configured such that the suction port at the rear of the rotating brush and the ventilation channel at the rear of the turbine merge at the suction channel connected to the main body, and a sound absorbing material is provided around the guide channel. With this configuration, blade noise and vortex sound generated from the turbine are absorbed, and noise is reduced.

JP 2008-13221 A JP-A-10-309248

  An object of this invention is to provide the vacuum cleaner which can reduce the noise which generate | occur | produces in a suction inlet.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric cleaning device that sucks dust together with airflow generated by operation of an electric blower from the suction port of the suction port body and introduces the sucked airflow into a dust collector to collect dust. In the machine, a connection pipe communicating with the suction port is connected to the suction port body, and at least a part of the connection pipe is covered with a cover, and the cover and the connection pipe An expansion chamber communicating with the inside of the connecting pipe is formed between the two.

  In the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the inside of the connecting pipe communicates with the expansion chamber through a plurality of small holes formed in the connecting pipe.

  In the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a small-diameter portion having an inner diameter smaller than that of the front and rear portions is formed in the connection pipe in the section covered with the cover.

  In the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a sound absorbing material is disposed in the expansion chamber.

  In the vacuum cleaner configured as described above, it is preferable that the expansion chamber includes an outside air intake.

  In the vacuum cleaner having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the cover has a configuration in which the connection pipe is sandwiched between two parts.

  According to the present invention, at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the connection pipe communicating with the suction port is covered with the cover, and an expansion chamber communicating with the inside of the connection pipe is formed between the cover and the connection pipe. Sound waves generated in the mouth are introduced into the expansion chamber, and a certain ratio disappears due to sound wave interference in the expansion chamber. As a result, the noise level leaking to the outside decreases. The expansion chamber also functions as a sound insulation space that separates the inside and outside of the connecting pipe, further contributing to noise reduction.

It is the schematic explaining the structure of a vacuum cleaner. It is a perspective view of the suction inlet concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the suction inlet body which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the suction inlet concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the suction inlet concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the suction inlet body cut | disconnected along the AA line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the suction inlet body cut | disconnected along the BB line of FIG. It is a top view of the sound-absorbing material arranged in the expansion chamber of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a bottom view of the suction inlet concerning the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the same suction port body as in FIG. 9 and shows a state where the rotating brush is removed. It is a top view of a connecting pipe. It is a side view of a connecting pipe. It is a front view of a connecting pipe. It is sectional drawing of the connecting pipe cut | disconnected along CC line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the connecting pipe cut | disconnected along the DD line | wire of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the connecting pipe cut | disconnected along the EE line of FIG.

  In FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is supported at three points by one caster type front wheel 2 and two rear wheels 3, and an electric blower 4 and a dust collecting device 5 are provided inside. The dust collector 5 may be a cyclone dust separation system or a bag-like filter. A flexible hose 6 communicating with the dust collector 5 is connected to the front surface of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. A handle portion 8 having an operation portion 7 is provided at the tip of the hose 6, an extension pipe 9 is connected to the handle portion 8, and a suction port body 10 is connected to the tip of the extension pipe 9.

  When a cord (not shown) is pulled out from a cord reel (not shown) built in the vacuum cleaner body 1 and connected to a power outlet (not shown), the vacuum cleaner body 1 is ready for operation. When the user holding the handle portion 8 pulls the hose 6, the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 moves following the user. When the user operates the operation unit 7 to put the electric blower 4 into an operating state, an airflow flows into the dust collector 5 through the suction port body 10, the extension pipe 9, and the hose 6. Dust contained in the airflow is collected by the dust collector 5, and the airflow after the dust collection is discharged to the outside of the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 via the electric blower 4.

  Then, the structure of the suction inlet 10 is demonstrated based on the figure from FIG. 2 to FIG.

  The suction inlet 10 includes a main body casing 11 that is elongated to the left and right when viewed from the front, and a connecting pipe 12 that plays a role of connecting the main body casing 11 to the extension pipe 9. The connecting pipe 12 is connected to the center of the rear part of the main body casing 11, and the main body casing 11 and the connecting pipe 12 have a T shape. The main body housing 11 is configured by combining a plurality of components. An upper surface cover 13 is combined with the upper surface of the main body casing 11. The upper surface cover 13 has substantially the same planar shape as the main body housing 11 and covers the entire upper surface of the main body housing 11.

  The front end of the connection pipe 12 is connected to the introduction pipe 14 (see FIG. 14). The introduction pipe 14 is fixed to the main body casing 11 and communicates with a suction port described later. As a result, the connection pipe 12 communicates with the suction port. A spherical bulge 14 a is formed at the rear end of the introduction pipe 14, and the front end of the connection pipe 12 is fitted into the universal joint 15. By interposing the universal joint 15, the connection pipe 12 can change both the inclination with respect to the main body housing 11 and the angle around the axis line within a predetermined angle range.

  A suction port 16 that opens downward is formed in the front portion of the main body housing 11. The suction port 16 extends in the front width direction of the main body housing 11. The introduction pipe 14 opens at the center of the suction port 16. In particular, the lower portion of the introduction pipe 14 extends in a funnel shape toward the suction port 16, and sucks air from a wide range.

  A rotary brush 17 is provided inside the suction port 16. The rotating brush 17 has substantially the same front width as the suction port 16 and is driven by a motor 18 (see FIG. 7). The rotary brush 17 and the motor 18 are connected by a timing belt (not shown). The motor 18 is stored in a motor storage chamber 19 formed as an independent space in the main body casing 11. The connection pipe 12 is provided with a power supply terminal 20 connected to a power supply terminal (not shown) of the extension pipe 9, and power is supplied to the motor 18 from the vacuum cleaner body 1 through the power supply terminal 20.

  A caster 21 is provided on the lower surface of the main body housing 11 at a position directly below the universal joint 15. The casters 21 come into contact with the floor surface to support the suction port body 10 and give a light movement to the suction port body 10.

  A roller 22 is provided on the lower surface of the main body housing 11 at a position forward of the caster 21 and biased to the left as viewed from the front. The roller 22 can move up and down and serves as an actuator for a safety switch (not shown) for the motor 18. That is, in a state where the suction port body 10 is placed on the floor, the roller 22 also hits the floor and retreats inside the main body casing 11. In this state, the safety switch is in a conductive state, and the motor 18 can be operated by supplying power to the motor 18. As the suction port 10 is lifted from the floor, the roller 22 protrudes from the main body casing 11. When the roller 22 is away from the floor, the safety switch is in a non-conductive state and the power supply to the motor 18 is cut off. Therefore, the rotating brush 17 does not rotate in a state in which a part of the body can be contacted, and the danger caused thereby is avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface cover 13 is not attached to the main body casing 11 without a gap, and the peripheral portion is in close contact with the main body casing 11, but between the main body casing 11 in other places. There is a gap. This gap becomes the expansion chamber 23. The expansion chamber 23 covers at least the upper portion of the motor storage chamber 19. In the embodiment, the expansion chamber 23 extends over the entire top surface of the main body housing 11. The motor storage chamber 19 and the expansion chamber 23 communicate with each other through a plurality of small holes (not shown).

  Sound waves generated in the motor storage chamber 19 are introduced into the expansion chamber 23 through a small hole (not shown), and a certain ratio disappears due to sound wave interference in the expansion chamber 23. As a result, the noise level leaking to the outside decreases. The expansion chamber 23 also functions as a sound insulation space that separates the motor storage chamber 19 from the outside, further contributing to noise reduction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a sound absorbing material 24 is disposed in the expansion chamber 23. As the sound absorbing material 24, for example, urethane foam can be used. By arranging the sound absorbing material 24, the sound wave entering the expansion chamber 23 is absorbed by the sound absorbing material 24, so that the sound insulation performance is further enhanced. It is preferable that the sound absorbing material 24 has a size that spreads over almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber 23. The sound absorbing material 24 shown in FIG. 8 is just the size. The sound absorbing material 24 is not shown in FIG.

  The same idea that the expansion chamber 23 is provided for the motor storage chamber 19 is also applied to the suction port 16. That is, the suction port 16 has a ceiling 16 a at a height that does not get caught by the outer periphery of the rotating brush 17, and the space above the ceiling 16 a becomes the expansion chamber 25. The introduction pipe 14 also communicates with the expansion chamber 25. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, a plurality of small holes 26 are formed in the ceiling 16 a, and the suction port 16 and the expansion chamber 25 communicate with each other through the small holes 26.

  As noise generated at the suction port 16, noise generated by a transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational force from the motor 18 to the rotating brush 17, a sound that the rotating brush 17 strikes and rubs the floor, and air flows around the rotating brush 17. Wind noise, etc., is the main thing. The sound wave generated at the suction port 16 is introduced into the expansion chamber 25 through the small hole 26, and a certain ratio disappears due to the sound wave interference in the expansion chamber 25. As a result, the noise level leaking to the outside decreases. The expansion chamber 25 also functions as a sound insulation space that separates the suction port 16 from the outside, further contributing to noise reduction.

  Noise reduction measures are taken not only for the main housing 11 but also for the connecting pipe 12. This will be described below.

  The connection pipe 12 is covered with a cover 30 at least at a part of the outer periphery. The cover 30 of the embodiment is configured to sandwich the connecting pipe 12 with two divided parts. By joining the two parts with screws, a sheath-like cover 30 that covers more than half of the length of the connecting pipe 12 is formed. In addition, although the cover 30 of embodiment is divided into right and left, it may be divided in other ways, for example, vertically divided into two.

  As understood from FIGS. 14 and 16, fish dorsal and prone projections 31 and 32 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the connecting pipe 12 along the length direction. The protrusions 31 and 32 hit the inner surface of the cover 30 and play a role of determining the relative position of the cover 30 with respect to the connecting pipe 12. Note that not only the projections 31 and 32 serve to position the cover 30, but the projections 33 (see FIG. 16) formed on both sides of the projection 31 at a distance from the projection 31, and the front end of the cover 30. It is part of the positioning of the cover 30 that the rear end is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe 12.

  The protrusion 32 protrudes outside the cover 30. The protruding portion is a hook 34 having a front shape shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and a cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. A hook receiver (not shown) is formed on the lower surface of the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 so as to be exposed when the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 is erected with the rear surface facing down. When the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 is stood up and the hook 34 is engaged with the hook receiver, the connecting pipe 12 is held by the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 with the axis line vertical. If the extension pipe 9 and the hose 6 are connected to the connecting pipe 12, all the components from the hose 6 to the suction port body 10 are stored together with the electric vacuum cleaner main body 1 in the connected state.

  A space surrounded by the cover 30 outside the connection pipe 12 is an expansion chamber 35. The inside of the connecting pipe 12 and the expansion chamber 35 communicate with each other through a plurality of small holes 36 formed in the outer peripheral wall of the connecting pipe 12.

  Noise generated on the main body housing 11 side is transmitted to the inside of the connecting pipe 12. The sound wave is introduced into the expansion chamber 35 through the small hole 36, and a certain ratio disappears due to sound wave interference in the expansion chamber 35. As a result, the noise level leaking to the outside decreases. The expansion chamber 35 also functions as a sound insulation space that separates the inside and the outside of the connecting pipe 12 and further contributes to noise reduction.

  The connecting pipe 12 is formed with a small-diameter portion 12 a having a smaller inner diameter than the front and rear portions in a section covered with the cover 30. In the embodiment, the section in which the small hole 36 is formed is the small diameter portion 12a. Due to the presence of the small diameter portion 12a, the flow velocity of the airflow flowing through the inside of the connecting pipe 12 is increased, and the dust suction force at the suction port 16 can be kept strong. When the inner diameter of the connecting pipe 12 other than the small diameter portion 12a is 34 mm, for example, a numerical value such as 27 mm is set as the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 12a.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a sound absorbing material 37 is disposed in the expansion chamber 35. As the sound absorbing material 37, for example, urethane foam can be used. By arranging the sound absorbing material 37, the sound wave entering the expansion chamber 35 is absorbed by the sound absorbing material 37, so that the sound insulation performance is further enhanced. It is preferable that the sound absorbing material 37 has a size that spreads over almost the entire interior of the expansion chamber 35.

  An outside air inlet 38 formed of a plurality of slits is formed on the front surface of the cover 30. When the airflow passes through the connection pipe 12 at a high speed, the inside of the connection pipe 12 becomes negative pressure, and the air inside the expansion chamber 35 is drawn into the connection pipe 12. The amount of air drawn to the connecting pipe 12 is supplemented with external air that enters from the outside air intake 38. Thus, the leakage of noise to the outside is further reduced by forming an air flow that enters from the outside air inlet 38 and exits into the connecting pipe 12.

  In this embodiment, the cover 30 is attached to the connection pipe 12 that forms a part of the suction port body 10. However, if the view is changed, the extension pipe 9 is also a connection pipe, and the cover 30 is attached to the extension pipe 9 so that the expansion chamber 35 is provided. It is also possible to configure.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is widely applicable to vacuum cleaners.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 4 Electric blower 5 Dust collector 6 Hose 9 Extension pipe 10 Suction port body 11 Main body housing 12 Connection pipe 12a Small diameter part 16 Suction port 17 Rotary brush 18 Motor 30 Cover 35 Expansion chamber 36 Small hole 37 Sound absorbing material 38 Outside air intake

Claims (6)

In a vacuum cleaner that sucks dust together with the airflow generated by the operation of the electric blower from the suction port of the suction port body, introduces the sucked airflow into the dust collector, and collects dust.
A connection pipe communicating with the suction port is connected to the suction port body, and at least a part of the connection pipe is covered with a cover, and between the cover and the connection pipe Is formed with an expansion chamber communicating with the inside of the connecting pipe.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the inside of the connection pipe and the expansion chamber is performed through a plurality of small holes formed in the connection pipe.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a small-diameter portion having a smaller inner diameter than the front and rear portions is formed in a section covered with the cover.   The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a sound absorbing material is disposed in the expansion chamber.   The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the expansion chamber includes an outside air intake.   The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover has a structure in which the connecting pipe is sandwiched between two parts.

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