JP2013144036A - Dust collector and vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow replacement of a filter in a dust collector including a dust-removing mechanism for removing dust deposited on a filter to trap dust in sucked air.SOLUTION: A dust collector includes: a dust collection container for collecting dust; a filter provided corresponding to an opening of the container and trapping dust; and a cover covering the exhaust side of the filter and forming an exhaust space for air passing through the filter. The filter is provided to be separated from the dust collection container and the cover while the cover is provided with a dust-removing mechanism to vibrate the filter. The dust-removing mechanism is configured to be manually operated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust collecting device for collecting dust in the air that is applied to a vacuum cleaner and sucked in particular.

  A vacuum cleaner for cleaning dust such as a floor surface sucks air and collects dust in the sucked air in a dust collector.

  The dust collector is provided with a filter for collecting dust in the air and exhausting clean air. This filter is clogged by collecting dust, and there is a concern about a reduction in suction force. Therefore, a dust removal mechanism for exchanging the filter or removing the collected dust is provided.

  The dust removal mechanism vibrates a filter, for example, and removes adhering dust by vibration. For example, the thing of patent document 1 uses a handle which carries a vacuum cleaner main body, operates a dust removal mechanism, and removes dust by vibrating a filter by this.

  In particular, as a dust removal mechanism, a dust removal mechanism is constructed by linking a rotatable handle (handle) accommodated in the main body of the vacuum cleaner so that it can be erected to function as a handle from the stored state. The dust removing member to be moved is moved with respect to the filter formed in a pleat shape. During this movement, the filter is vibrated by bringing the dust removing member into contact with the peak portion of the pleated filter. Moreover, in the operation | movement which accommodates a handle, it is the structure which improves a dust removal effect using that the moving direction of a dust removal member reverses.

JP 2008-113786 A JP 2007-167617 A

  According to the dust removal mechanism of the filter described in Patent Document 1, the configuration becomes very large. In particular, it cannot be applied as it is to a self-propelled robot cleaner as described in Patent Document 2. In other words, unlike the ordinary vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1, the robot cleaner is extremely capable of cleaning a narrow space that cannot be cleaned, such as an area that cannot be artificially entered, such as under a bed. It is thin and flat.

  Therefore, a handle is not provided to carry the cleaner, but the cleaner itself runs and cleans itself. Therefore, a handle for carrying the vacuum cleaner main body is not usually provided. There is also no power supply coat.

  As described above, the filter dust removal mechanism described in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to a robot cleaner as described in Patent Document 2 as it is.

  However, if the filter is not removed, cleaning cannot be performed due to clogging of the filter. Therefore, replacement of the filter is forced. This exchange places an economic burden on the user. In addition, the replacement work is forced to the user and is not easy to maintain.

  Therefore, providing the filter with a dust removing mechanism is a very important factor for continuously using the vacuum cleaner. In particular, in a robot cleaner, unlike a normal cleaner that is manually operated, the capacity for collecting dust cannot be increased, and the same applies to a filter. Therefore, a dust removal mechanism suitable for a self-propelled cleaner is required instead of the dust removal mechanism described in Patent Document 1.

  Further, the dust removal mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is separate from the dust collection device and the dust removal mechanism, and in a state where the dust collection device is taken out from the cleaner body in order to discard the collected dust, The dust removal mechanism is in the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and the dust removal operation cannot be performed at present.

  In addition, a dust collector in which a dust removal mechanism is integrated has been proposed. According to such a configuration, even if the dust collector is taken out from the cleaner body, dust attached to the filter can be removed. In such a case, since the dust removal mechanism and the filter are integrated, it is not possible to replace the filter alone.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a dust collector equipped with a dust removal mechanism that can replace a filter alone.

  An object of this invention is to provide a dust collector provided with the dust removal mechanism suitable also for the robot cleaner by a self-propelled type.

  The present invention provides a dust collector including a filter dust removal mechanism that can be applied not only to a robot cleaner but also to a general vacuum cleaner.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a dust removal mechanism that can be applied to a dust collector having a small dust collection capacity. In particular, the dust collector is provided with a dust removal mechanism, and a mechanism for further increasing dust removal efficiency by manual operation is provided.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the dust collector of the present invention is provided with a filter on the upper part of the dust collector that constitutes the dust collector that collects dust. This filter covers the opening of the dust collecting container and collects dust contained in the air.

  The upper part of the filter is provided with an upper cover that holds the filter and forms an exhaust space through which airflow sucked into the dust collecting container passes through the filter and communicates with the exhaust port of the cleaner body. A dust removing mechanism for removing dust adhering to the filter is provided between the upper cover and the exhaust surface of the filter, that is, the upper cover.

  The filter is placed so as to cover the opening of the dust collecting container, or is held and integrated with the upper cover, and is separated or rotated from the dust collecting container.

  Therefore, when the dust collected in the dust collecting container is discarded, the filter is held by the upper cover, and the dust can be discarded by separating or rotating the dust collecting container including the upper cover from the filter. Further, when the filter is released from the upper cover, it can be separated from the upper cover and can be replaced with a new filter.

  In addition, since the upper cover is provided with a dust removal mechanism, the filter can be separated from the upper cover and can be separated from the dust removal mechanism. In addition, as long as the filter is held on the upper cover, filter dust can be removed even when the dust collector is attached to the cleaner body or removed from the cleaner body.

  The dust removing mechanism is provided with a moving part that is movable with respect to the filter, and the moving part is provided with a contact part. The moving unit is configured to move in conjunction with an operation of an operation unit that can be manually operated. Therefore, the moving part is connected to a connecting part configured to move the moving part in conjunction with the operation of the operating part. The contact portion is for contacting and vibrating the filter, and a plurality of the contact portions are provided in the moving direction.

  Therefore, the moving unit moves with respect to the filter through the connecting unit by operation of the operating unit, the contact unit appropriately vibrates by contacting the filter, shakes off the dust collected and adhered to the filter, Can be removed.

  The moving unit can be configured to perform rotational movement by movement of the operation unit, for example, rotation operation. Moreover, it can be set as the structure which moves according to the linear reciprocation operation of an operation part.

  Furthermore, the moving unit can be configured to be capable of linear reciprocating movement by rotating the operation unit. For this reason, the connecting portion also serves as a conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the operation portion into linear motion.

  The moving part constituting the dust removing mechanism is provided so as to be movable with respect to the support provided on the upper cover, and the contact part is appropriately brought into contact with the filter during the movement.

  The connecting portion includes a rotating body (rotating plate) that rotates in conjunction with a rotating operation of the operating portion, a connecting pin provided on the rotating body, and a connecting body that contacts the connecting pin and is attached to the moving body. It is the composition which includes. Therefore, when the operation portion is rotated, the moving portion is moved (forwardly moved) in one direction by the action of the connecting pin provided on the rotating body and the connecting body. During the movement, the contact portion comes into contact with the filter to vibrate the filter and perform dust removal. After the rotating body is rotated halfway (180 °) by the rotation operation of the operation unit, the moving direction of the moving body is reversed and moved (returned) in the direction opposite to the above direction. Therefore, the dust removal effect can be enhanced by reciprocating instead of moving in one direction.

  When providing the said contact part in multiple numbers, it provides so that the timing which each contact part contacts a filter may shift | deviate. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time until a plurality of contact portions come into contact with each other at the same time, and the contact time becomes longer, so that the dust removal effect is further enhanced.

  According to the dust collector equipped with the dust removal mechanism of the present invention, the filter can be separated from the dust removal mechanism, and can be replaced by a single filter.

  Further, since the dust collecting mechanism is provided in the dust collecting device, filter dust removal can be performed even when the dust collecting device is attached to and detached from the cleaner body.

  Moreover, since the filter and the dust collecting container can be separated, it is easy to discard the collected dust.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of a self-propelled cleaner as a cleaner concerning this invention. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the internal structure of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state which took out the dust collector of this invention provided in a vacuum cleaner main body so that attachment or detachment was possible upwards from the vacuum cleaner main body. The perspective view seen from the inhalation | air-intake of the dust collector which shows one Embodiment of this invention, and an exhaust port. It is a perspective view of the dust collector visually observed from the opposite side to Drawing 4, and (a) shows the state where the upper cover was closed, and (b) shows the state where the upper cover was opened. It is a side view of the dust collector of this invention, (a) shows the state which closed the upper cover, (b) shows the state which open | releases the dust container of a dust collector and discards the collected dust. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view in FIG. 6, (a) is a state in which the handle is rotated to the use state and the upper cover is closed, and (b) is a state where the dust collecting container of the dust collector is opened and the collected dust is discarded. Indicates the state. The perspective view which looked at the open state of the dust container of the dust collector of this invention from the opposite side to the suction side. The partial cross section figure for demonstrating the dust removal mechanism of the filter with which the dust collector of this invention is equipped. The top view of the state which removed the upper cover in order to demonstrate the dust removal mechanism of the filter with which the dust collector of this invention is equipped. It is a figure which shows the other example of the operation part of the dust removal mechanism in this invention, (a) is sectional drawing of an operation part, (b) is the top view.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described using a self-propelled cleaner as an example. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to a self-propelled cleaner, that is, a robot cleaner, and is also applicable to an electric vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning by a normal artificial operation.

  First, the configuration of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  A cleaning robot (hereinafter referred to as a vacuum cleaner) 1 that is a self-propelled cleaner has a circular main body housing 2 that is self-propelled by driving a driving wheel 29 (both see FIG. 2) by a battery 14. ing. A lid 3 that opens and closes when the dust collector 30 (see FIG. 2) is taken in and out is provided on the upper surface of the main body housing 2.

  FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of the cleaner 1. A pair of drive wheels 29 projecting from the bottom surface is disposed on the main body housing 2. The rotational axis of the drive wheel 25 is disposed on the center line C of the main body housing 2. When both wheels of the drive wheel 29 rotate in the same direction, the main body housing 2 moves forward and backward, and when both wheels rotate in opposite directions, the main body housing 2 rotates around the center line C.

  A suction port 6 is provided on the lower surface of the front portion of the main body housing 2 that is forward in the movement direction when cleaning is performed. The suction port 6 is formed so as to face the floor surface F by an open surface of a recess 8 that is recessed in the bottom surface of the main body housing 2. A rotating brush (main brush) 9 that rotates on a horizontal rotating shaft is disposed in the recess 8, and a side brush 10 that rotates on a substantially vertical rotating shaft is disposed on both sides of the recess 8.

  A roller-shaped front wheel 27 is provided in front of the recess 8. A rear wheel 26 composed of a free wheel is provided at the rear end of the main body housing 2. As will be described later, the weight of the main body housing 2 is distributed in the front-rear direction with respect to the driving wheel 29 disposed in the center, the front wheel 27 is separated from the floor surface F, and the rotary brush 9, the driving wheel 29 and the rear wheel 26 are floor. Cleaning is performed by contacting the surface F. The front wheel 27 is in contact with a step appearing on the course so that the main body housing 2 can easily get over the step.

  A charging terminal 4 for charging the battery 14 is provided at the rear end of the peripheral surface of the main body housing 2. The main body casing 2 is self-propelled and returns to the charging stand 40 installed indoors, and the charging terminal 4 contacts the terminal portion 41 provided on the charging stand 40 to charge the battery 14. The charging stand 40 connected to the commercial power supply is usually installed along the side wall S in the room.

  A dust collector 30 that collects dust is disposed in the main body housing 2. The dust collecting device 30 is housed in a dust collecting chamber 39 provided in the main body housing 2. The dust collection chamber 39 forms an isolation chamber whose four peripheral surfaces and bottom are covered, and each wall surface except the front wall is closed. A first intake passage 11 that communicates with the recess 8 and a second intake passage 12 that communicates with the motor unit 20 disposed above the recess 8 are led out to the front wall of the dust collection chamber 39.

  The dust collector 30 is disposed on the center line C of the main body housing 2 and can be opened and removed by opening the lid portion 3 of the main body housing 2 as shown in FIG. In the dust collector 30, an upper cover 32 that holds a filter unit 33 is attached to the upper surface of a bottomed cylindrical dust collecting container 31. The upper cover 32 is locked to the dust collecting container 31 by a movable locking mechanism 32A, and can be rotated with respect to the dust collecting container 31 by operation of the locking mechanism 32A. Thereby, the dust accumulated in the dust collecting container 31 can be discarded.

  An inflow path 34 that leads to the first intake path 11 by opening an inflow port 34 a at the tip is led out on the peripheral surface (one side surface) of the dust collecting container 31. An inflow portion 34 b is provided in the dust collection container 31 so as to lead the airflow downward by bending continuously from the inflow passage 34. On the peripheral surface of the upper cover 32 (a side surface on the same side as the one side surface of the dust collecting container 31), an outflow passage 35 that opens to the front end and communicates with the second intake passage 12 is led out.

  A packing (not shown) that is in close contact with the front wall of the dust collection chamber 39 is provided around the inflow port 34a and the outflow port 35a. Thereby, the inside of the dust collecting chamber 39 in which the dust collecting device 30 is accommodated is sealed. The front wall of the dust collecting chamber 39 is formed on an inclined surface, and the deterioration of the packing due to sliding when the dust collecting device 30 is taken in and out can be prevented.

  A control board 15 is disposed in the upper part of the main body housing 2 behind the dust collection chamber 39. The control board 15 is provided with a control circuit for controlling each part of the cleaning robot 1. A detachable battery 14 is disposed in the lower part of the rear of the dust collection chamber 39. The battery 14 is charged from the charging stand 40 via the charging terminal 4 and supplies power to the control board 15, the drive wheel 29, the rotating brush 9, the side brush 10, the electric blower 22, and the like.

  A motor unit 20 is disposed at the front of the main body housing 2. The motor unit 20 includes a housing 21 of a resin molded product and an electric blower 22 accommodated in the housing 21. The electric blower 22 is formed by a turbo fan covered with a motor case.

  The electric blower 22 sucks through the second intake passage 12 of the dust collector 30 and exhausts it through the exhaust port 7 (see FIG. 2) provided on the upper surface of the main body housing 2. As a result, air containing dust is sucked from the suction port 6, and exhausted from the exhaust port 7 through the first intake path 11, the dust collector 30, and the second intake path 12. In this path, dust is collected in the dust collecting container 31 by the dust collecting device 30, fine dust is collected by the filter 33, and clean air is exhausted from the exhaust port 7.

  As described above, the air flow path including the electric blower 22 is concentrated in front of the dust collecting chamber 39 and disposed in the front portion of the main body housing 2. For this reason, the control board 15 and the battery 14 are gathered behind the dust collection chamber 39 and arranged at the rear part of the main body casing 2, so that the size of the main body casing 2 can be reduced by reducing wiring and the like. Moreover, since the flow path of the airflow is separated from the control board 15, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of dust to the control board 15 when the airflow leaks and reduce the failure of the control circuit.

  In addition, since the heavy electric blower 22 and the battery 14 are arranged in the front and rear of the main body housing 2, the weight is distributed in a balanced manner in the front and rear direction of the main body housing 2. For this reason, when the rotating brush 9, the driving wheel 29 and the rear wheel 26 are grounded, the main body housing 2 moves forward and backward, and when the rotating brush 9 or the rear wheel 26 is removed from the ground surface due to stairs or the like, the main body housing 2 is dropped. Can be prevented.

  At this time, since the dust collector 30 is arranged on the center line C, the weight balance of the main body housing 2 can be maintained even if the weight of the dust collector 30 changes due to dust collection and disposal. In addition, since the weight of the electric blower 22 is large, a better weight balance can be achieved by disposing the control board 15 and the battery 14 at the rear part of the main body housing 2.

  In the vacuum cleaner 1 having the above configuration, when the cleaning operation is instructed, the electric blower 22, the drive wheel 25, the rotating brush 9, and the side brush 10 are driven. As a result, the main body housing 2 has the rotating brush 9, the driving wheel 25 and the rear wheel 26 grounded on the floor surface F and self-propelled within a predetermined range, and airflow including dust on the floor surface F is sucked from the suction port 6. . At this time, the dust on the floor surface F is scraped up by the rotation of the rotating brush 9 and guided into the recess 8. Further, the dust on the side of the suction port 6 is guided to the suction port 6 by the rotation of the side brush 10.

  The airflow sucked from the suction port 6 flows rearward through the first intake passage 11 as indicated by an arrow A1, and flows into the dust collector 30 through the inflow port 34a. The airflow flowing into the dust collector 30 collects dust by the filter 33 and flows out of the dust collector 30 through the outlet 35a. Thereby, dust is collected and accumulated in the dust collecting container 31. The airflow flowing out from the dust collector 30 flows forward through the second intake passage 12 as indicated by an arrow A2, and flows into the electric blower 22 of the motor unit 20 through an opening (not shown).

  The airflow that has passed through the electric blower 22 is exhausted from the exhaust port 7 provided on the upper surface of the main body housing 2 in an oblique direction toward the upper rear as indicated by an arrow A3. Thereby, the room is cleaned. At this time, if an ion generator or the like is provided in the air passage path of the motor unit 20, ions generated by the ion generator are exhausted together with clean air from the exhaust port 7 of the main body housing 2 that is self-propelled. Ions contained in the air are distributed throughout the room to be sterilized and deodorized in the room. At this time, since the air is exhausted upward from the exhaust port 7, it is possible to prevent the dust on the floor surface F from being rolled up and improve the cleanliness of the room.

  Further, when both wheels of the drive wheel 29 are rotated in opposite directions, the main body housing 2 rotates around the center line C and changes its direction. Thereby, while making the main body housing | casing 2 self-propelled to the whole desired range, an obstacle can be avoided and self-propelled. Note that the main body housing 2 may be moved backward by reversing both wheels of the drive wheel 29 with respect to forward movement.

  When the cleaning is completed, the main body housing 2 self-propels and returns to the charging stand 40. Thereby, the charging terminal 4 contacts the terminal part 41 and the battery 14 is charged.

  In addition, the electric blower 22 and the ion generator can be driven while the battery 14 is being charged or after the charging is completed in the feedback state of the main body housing 2 depending on the setting. As a result, an airflow containing ions is sent from the exhaust port 7 upward and rearward. Since the charging terminal 4 is provided at the rear end of the main body housing 2, the airflow including ions flows in the direction of the charging base 40 and rises along the side wall S. The airflow circulates along the indoor ceiling wall and the opposite side wall. Accordingly, the ions are spread throughout the room, and the sterilizing effect and the deodorizing effect can be improved.

  According to this embodiment, since it exhausts upwards from the exhaust port 7 provided in the upper surface of the main body housing | casing 2, it can prevent raising of the dust of the floor surface F, and can improve indoor cleanliness.

  Further, since the exhaust port 7 is disposed at the front of the main body housing 2 and exhausted obliquely rearward from the exhaust port 7, the exhaust airflow flows away from the floor F at the rear end of the main body housing 2. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the dust on the floor surface F from being rolled up.

(Configuration of the dust collector of the present invention)
Then, the structure of the dust collector of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  The dust collector 30 of the present invention has a dust collection container 31 for collecting dust. The dust collecting container 31 has an opening 31d (see FIGS. 6, 7, and 8) whose upper part is opened, and a filter unit is formed on the upper part so as to cover the opening 31d as shown in FIG. 5B. 33.

  The dust collecting container 31 is provided with an openable and closable upper cover 32 whose one end is pivotally supported so as to cover the opening 31 d including the filter unit 33. The upper cover 32 is provided with the filter unit 33 that is separable from the upper cover and is usually housed in the cover and held in a press-fit state.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the dust collection container 31 has an inlet 31 a that is in communication with the suction port 6 of the cleaner body on one side surface. The inflow port 31 a is formed in the vicinity of (adjacent to) the filter unit 33.

  An inflow path 34 that forms a first intake path 11 that guides air from the suction port 6 to the dust collection container 31 is connected to the inflow port 31 a, and the inflow path 34 projects from the dust collection container 31. Are integrally formed. The inflow channel 34 is provided in an upwardly inclined state.

  On the other hand, the upper cover 32 is provided with a rotatable handle 36. The handle 36 is formed with a hole 36a (see FIG. 8) for pivotal support at both ends serving as free ends. The hole 36 a is inserted with a protruding shaft portion 32 g provided on the upper cover 32 side, so that the handle 36 can be rotated with respect to the upper cover 32.

  The upper cover 32 forms a handle storage portion 32a (see FIG. 6B and the like) in which a part of the periphery of the upper surface on the opposite side where the inflow passage 34 is provided is recessed. The storage portion 32a is formed in a form in which the handle 36 is stored and the upper surface is flush with the storage state. In addition, the storage portion 32a of the upper cover 32 is formed with a concave portion 32b through which the handle 36 can be picked out in order to facilitate removal of the stored handle 36 from the storage portion 32a.

  Therefore, in a state where the dust collector 30 is attached to the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1, the handle 36 can be taken out from the storage portion 32a and can be rotated upward. In this state, the handle 36 is held, and the dust collector 30 can be easily taken out from the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

  A support structure is provided to allow the dust collection container 31 to be opened with respect to the upper cover 32, that is, to be rotatable. Before explaining this configuration, a mechanism for restricting the rotating state, that is, a locking mechanism 32A for restricting opening and closing of the dust collecting container 31 with respect to the upper cover 32 will be described. This is a locking mechanism for locking the dust collecting container 31 to the upper cover 32 in order to make the dust collecting device 30 shown in FIG.

  If the lock mechanism 32A is described with reference to FIG. 5, the lock operation portion 32e having the lock claw 32d provided on the upper cover 32 side, and the protrusion provided on the dust collecting container 31 side to hook the lock claw 32d. 31b. The locking operation part 32e is pivotally supported on the cover 32 side so as to be rotatable, and is biased in a direction in which the locking claw 32d is locked to the protrusion 31b by a biasing force (not shown), for example, a coil-shaped compression spring. .

  Further, in order to rotate in a direction against the urging force of the locking operation portion 32e, a recess 32c is formed on the cover 32 side corresponding to the side opposite to the locking claw 32d as shown in FIG. ing. Therefore, in FIG. 7 and the like, when the locking portion 32e is pressed counterclockwise, the locking claw 32d on the side opposite to the pressing portion is separated from the protrusion 31b, and the locked state is released. As a result, the dust container 31 is opened with respect to the cover 32.

  Here, the locking mechanism 32A is provided with a locking operation portion 32e in a recess 32c in which the central portion of the upper cover 32 is recessed. Correspondingly, the portion corresponding to the protrusion 31b is also recessed in the dust container 31 side, and the protrusion 31b is provided in the recess. As a result, the locking mechanism 32 </ b> A itself does not protrude from the dust collector 30. Therefore, the locking mechanism 32A cannot be operated in a state where the dust collecting device 30 is mounted in the dust collecting chamber 39 of the main body of the cleaner 1. The dust collection chamber 39 on the main body side of the vacuum cleaner 1 can be formed in a simple shape having a flat surface shape. As a result, it is not necessary to configure the shape according to the locking mechanism 32A, and the dust collection chamber 39 can be formed in a simple shape.

  On the other hand, the filter unit 33 is detachably attached to the upper cover 32. As shown in FIG. 7, a space 50 is formed between the upper surface of the filter unit 33 and the lower surface of the upper cover 32, and the space 50 becomes an exhaust space. The purified air ventilated through the filter unit 33 passes through the exhaust space 50 and is exhausted from the dust collector 30 through the exhaust port 7 of the cleaner 1 body.

  The air that passes through the filter unit 33 is introduced into the outflow passage 35 that communicates with the second intake passage 12 serving as an exhaust passage on the cleaner body side. Therefore, the outflow path 35 is integrally formed on the side surface of the upper cover 32, that is, on the same surface side as the inflow path 34 side of the dust collecting container 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a support shaft 35 b protruding from both ends in the longitudinal direction is integrally formed in the outflow passage 35 of the upper cover 32. A boss portion 31c formed integrally with the dust collecting container 31 is pivotally supported on the support shaft 35b. The boss 31c protrudes from the side surface of the dust collecting container 31 and penetrates a support hole into which the support shaft 35b is inserted. By inserting the support shaft 35 b into the support hole, the dust collecting container 31 can be opened and closed (rotatable) with respect to the upper cover 32. The support shaft 35b is formed so as to protrude from the side surface of the outflow passage 35, but may be provided on the upper cover 32 side.

  A coil spring 37 is inserted into one side of the support shaft 35b. One end of the coil spring 37 is engaged with the upper cover 32 and the other end is engaged with the boss 31c side of the dust collecting container 31. Has been. Thereby, when the dust collecting container 31 is opened, it is greatly opened by the biasing force of the spring 37 (see FIGS. 6B, 7B, and 8). If this opening is an opening due to the weight of the dust collecting container 31, it is 90 degrees or less, and the dust collected in the dust collecting container 31 cannot be disposed of reliably. In order to ensure that the opening angle exceeds 90 degrees, a spring 37 is provided so that the opening 31a of the dust collecting container 31 faces the lower surface, and the collected dust is surely discarded. Yes.

  Next, the configuration of the filter unit 33 according to the present invention and a dust removal mechanism for removing dust from the filter will be described.

(Filter configuration)
As described above, the filter unit 33 is attached to the upper cover 32, that is, provided in a state of being accommodated and held.

  The filter unit 33 of the present invention includes a filter 33a (shown in FIG. 5B, etc.) body formed in a pleat shape for allowing air to pass through and collecting dust, and a resin surrounding the entire circumference of the filter 33a body. And a frame 33b made of the like. A packing member 33c made of rubber or the like is attached to the entire circumference of the peripheral surface of the frame 33b in order to prevent air leakage and the like. The lower surface of the packing member 33 c comes into contact with the opening edge of the opening 31 d of the dust collecting container 31. Therefore, the filter unit 33 covers the opening 31d of the dust collection container 31, prevents air leakage from the opening 31d, and seals the inside of the dust collection container 31.

  In FIG. 5B, the filter 33 a is resin-processed so that the pleated peak portion is not damaged by contact with a contact portion described later. The portion of the valley between the mountains is not processed with resin.

  Further, the packing member 33c is press-fitted (see FIG. 7) while being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the upper cover 32. The filter unit 33 is held in the upper cover 32 in a press-fitted state by the press-fitting. Thus, the sealed state of the exhaust space 50 after passing through the filter 33a is secured.

  Since the filter unit 33 is held by the upper cover 32, if the upper cover 32 rotates with respect to the dust collection container 31, the filter unit 33 is rotated in accordance with the rotation and opens the opening 31 d of the dust collection container 31. become. If filter dust removal is performed in this state, the attached dust is scattered and the meaning of dust removal is lost.

  In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to separate the filter unit 33 from the upper cover 32 and place the filter unit 33 so as to cover the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31. As an example of a configuration for that purpose, a support portion (boss portion) 33 d that protrudes from the same surface side as the inflow passage 34 side of the dust collecting container 31 is integrally formed on the frame 33 b of the filter unit 33.

  The support portion 33d is supported coaxially with a support shaft 35b provided on the upper cover 32. Therefore, the support portion 33d is integrally formed with a hemispherical protrusion inserted from the end opposite to the through hole of the boss portion 31c of the dust collecting container 31 into which the support shaft 35b is inserted. The support portion 33d closes the through hole of the boss portion 33c of the dust collecting container 31, and is supported to be rotatable with respect to the through hole. As a result, the filter unit 33 is rotated together with the upper cover 32 while being held on the upper cover 32 side, and there is no fear of the holding state being lost, and the filter unit 33 can be rotated with respect to the dust collecting container 31. Become. Therefore, the operation of discarding the dust collected in the dust collecting container 31 is not affected at all.

  In the present invention, in order to remove dust adhering to the filter, it is necessary to separate the filter unit 33 from the upper cover 32 and to place the separated filter unit 33 so as to cover the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31. is there. However, the filter unit 33 is in a state of being held by the upper cover 32, and when the upper cover 32 is opened, the filter surface to which dust is attached is exposed. Since the user removes the exposed filter unit 33 by hand, the maintenance is not excellent and the user is not friendly. In other words, the working hand is also soiled with dust.

  Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, a convex portion 33 e is provided on a part of the packing member 33 c of the filter unit 33 on the side opposite to the support shaft for opening and closing. The convex portion 33e is formed with a notch 32f at a corresponding portion of the upper cover 32 so as to be exposed even when the upper cover 32 is closed. The exposed surface of the convex portion 33e is subjected to a bumping process (drawing process) as an anti-slip process. Such processing may be knurling or the like.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, with the upper cover 32 closed by the dust collecting container 31, the filter unit 33 is pressed by pressing the convex portion 33e, releasing the locking mechanism 32A, and opening the upper cover 32. The upper cover 32 is opened upward in a state where the dust collecting container 31 holds the 33 (see FIG. 5B). Accordingly, the non-collecting surface is exposed to the outside in a state where the filter unit 33 is held in the dust collecting container 31 without the user touching the collecting surface of the filter unit 33. Therefore, the filter unit 33 can be vibrated by sliding the peak portion of the filter on the non-collecting surface (exhaust surface side) with a rod or the like, and dust collected on the collecting surface can be removed. In this case, since the opening 31d is closed by the packing member 33c, the filter unit 33 can prevent the dust that has been removed from being scattered.

  As described above, the dust removal of the filter 33 a can be performed even when the upper cover 32 is separated from the filter unit 33. In addition, in the dust removal operation, there is no worry that the hands and the like are stained with dust.

  The filter unit 33 can be separated as a separate member from the dust collecting container 31 and the cover 32 through the support portion 33d as a unit. Therefore, the filter unit 33 can be easily replaced. In this replacement, if the protruding support portion 33d is integrally formed with the filter frame 33b with resin or the like, it can be easily removed from the boss portion 31c by using the elasticity and elasticity of the resin and by pushing and deforming both sides. Can do. On the contrary, when attaching the new filter unit 33, the filter unit 33 can be easily pivoted by being fitted into the through hole of the boss portion 31c while the support portion 33d is pushed open.

(Dust removal mechanism provided in the dust collector of the present invention)
The above is an example of the configuration of the filter of the present invention, and the dust removal mechanism provided in the dust collector 30 of the present invention for efficiently removing dust attached to the filter will be described in detail below.

  This dust removal mechanism is provided in the dust collector 30. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the dust removing mechanism 51 according to the present invention in a partial cross section, and FIG. 10 is a plan view of the dust removing mechanism 51 viewed from the top surface with the upper cover 32 removed. 9 and 10 show the filter unit 33 in a simplified rectangular shape for explaining the dust removing mechanism 51 of the present invention. The filter unit 33 is press-fitted and held in the upper cover 32 and can be separated from the upper cover 32.

  The dust removing mechanism 51 of the present invention includes a moving unit 52 for vibrating the filter main body of the filter unit 33, a manual operation unit 53 related to a moving operation of the moving unit 52, and the moving unit in conjunction with the operation by the operating unit 53. It is comprised with the connection part 54 for moving 52. FIG.

  First, the moving unit 52 includes a support body (two slide bars, a shaft, and the like) 55 that supports the moving unit 52 so as to be movable. Both ends of the support body 55 are attached to the side plates of the upper cover 32. Therefore, the moving part 52 is provided to be movable (slidable) in the arrangement direction of the support 55 (left and right in the drawing) with respect to the support 55.

  The moving part 52 has a vibrating member 60 for vibrating a filter extended to the filter 33a main body of the filter unit 33, or a separate member attached to the moving part 52. The vibration member 60 is provided on both sides in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the slide direction) in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9 that extends to the filter 33a, the vibrating member 60 is provided with a plurality of (four in the sliding direction) contact portions 61 and 62 on the front side and the back side, respectively. The front side contact portion is shown as 61 and the back side contact portion is shown as 62. A plurality of the contact portions 61 and 62 are provided at predetermined intervals in the sliding direction. The plurality of contact portions 61 and 62 provided so as to extend in contact with the peak 33A of the filter 33a are provided so that the contact timing is gradually shifted. Further, the front side and back side contact portions 61 and 62 are also provided so as to be displaced. Therefore, any one contact part 61 or 62 is configured to contact one of the peaks 33A of the filter 33a. Note that the contact timings of the contact portions 61 on the front side may all be the same, and may be shifted with respect to the contact timing of the contact portion 62 on the back side.

  Further, if the front and back contact portions 61 and 62 are in contact with each other at the same time (even if they are slightly shifted from each other), and the positions of the contacting peaks are different between the front side and the back side, the dust removal efficiency is improved. Can be raised.

  Furthermore, although the vibration member 60 is provided on both sides, three vibration members may be provided in parallel by extending from the central portion of the moving portion 52. Also in this case, it is more effective to shift the contact timing of each contact portion. Instead of three, more contact members may be provided.

  About the timing which contacts above, it can be made to contact with a filter by a suitable aspect by considering the space | interval etc. which each contact part provides.

  In the above description, the vibration member 60 is described as being provided as a separate member from the moving unit 52. The contact portions 61 and 62 of the vibration member 60 may be formed integrally with the moving portion 52. Therefore, the moving part 52 acts as a vibration member.

  In addition, in the figure, the moving part 52 showed the example which arrange | positions the vibration member 60 with the narrow form which concentrated on the filter center part. In addition to this, in FIG. 10, the shape can be wide in the vertical direction. Accordingly, if the vibration member 60 corresponding to the vicinity of the center and the both ends in the vertical direction is provided and each contact portion of the vibration member is in contact with the peak portion of the filter 33a, the entire region of the filter 33a is efficiently vibrated. Thus, the entire filter can be covered. Thereby, the dust adhering to the whole area of the filter 33a can be efficiently removed.

  The above is an example of the configuration of the moving unit 52 including the vibrating member 60. Next, the structure of the operation part 53 and the connection part 54 is demonstrated.

  The operation unit 53 includes a rotation shaft 53a that is rotatably provided with respect to the top surface of the upper cover 52, and a knob 53b that is rotatably supported by the upper end portion of the rotation shaft 53a. The rotation shaft 53a is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 56 attached to the upper cover 52.

  The connecting portion 54 for moving the moving portion 52 in conjunction with the operation of the operating portion 53 includes a rotating plate 54a fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft 53a of the operating portion 53, and a lower surface of the rotating plate 54a. The connecting pin 54b is rotatable and fixed, and further includes a connecting body 54c fixed to the upper surface of the moving body 52.

  Although the rotating plate 54a is illustrated in a disk shape in FIG. 10, the rotating plate 54a is not limited to such a shape, and may be a plate-shaped plate material extending in the radial direction around at least the rotating shaft 53a. However, it can be expected to rotate in a well-balanced manner during operation by using a disk shape.

  Further, the connecting body 54c is formed in a U-shaped cross section having a rectangular shape in a plan view and having a central portion in the longitudinal direction as a concave portion. The connecting body 54c is fixed on the moving portion 52 so that the concave portion is in the upper position and the direction of the concave portion in the longitudinal direction is substantially orthogonal to the sliding direction. The connecting pin 54b is inserted into the concave portion of the connecting body 54c.

  The knob 53b is normally held in a state where it is tilted to the lower surface from the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 53a, and is rotatably provided so as to protrude from the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 53a as shown in FIG. Yes. Therefore, in a state where the dust collector 30 is mounted on the cleaner body, the knob 53b is tilted and does not get in the way. When the lid 3 of the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1 is opened and a dust removal operation is performed, the knob 53b protrudes as shown in FIG. 9, and the dust removal operation can be performed by rotating the knob 53b.

(Dust removal operation of the dust removal mechanism of the present invention)
Next, the dust removal operation by the dust removal mechanism 51 in the above configuration will be described. In order to perform filter dust removal, the lid 3 of the cleaner 1 body is opened, and the dust collector can be taken out of the cleaner body with the handle 36 of the dust collector 30. Further, the dust removal operation can be performed even when the dust collecting device 30 is housed.

  Therefore, the knob 53b of the operation unit 53 is set to the operating state, and the knob 53b is rotated in either direction. This rotation is transmitted to the moving part 52 via the connecting part 54. That is, when the rotating plate 54a is rotated, the connecting pin 54b on the lower surface thereof is rotated at a position away from the center position of the rotating shaft 53a in the radial direction. By this rotation, the connecting pin 54b moves so as to slide up and down in the recess of the connecting body 54c. By this movement, the connecting body 54c moves in the sliding direction in FIG. 10, converts the rotational movement into movement in one direction, and moves the moving unit 52.

  The above movement is performed once and again by the rotation of the rotating plate 54a, that is, the moving unit 52 is reciprocated once in the direction of the support 55. Further, the moving distance moves twice as much as the distance from the rotating shaft 53a to the connecting pin 54b (the distance of the diameter of the rotating circle of the connecting pin 54b). By this reciprocating movement, the contact portions 61 and 62 come into contact with the crest portion 33A of the filter 33a at each timing, and vibrate the filter unit 33, particularly the filter 33a. Due to the vibration caused by this movement, the collected dust can be effectively shaken off and removed. The removed dust falls to the dust collecting container 31 side and is collected.

  In addition, since the contact portions 61 and 62 are in contact with each other at different timings, the load caused by the simultaneous contact with each other is greatly reduced, and the dust removal effect is greatly reduced and the burden on the operator of the dust removal work is greatly reduced. it can.

  When the moving part 52 makes one reciprocation, the length of the moving body 52 in the sliding direction so as to come into contact with the entire filter length in the sliding (moving) direction and vibrate at the plurality of contact parts 61 and 62 of the vibrating member 60 ( (Movement distance) may be set. This length is the length of the vibration member 60 having a contact portion. Therefore, the interval between the contact portions and the length of the moving portion 52 (or the vibration member 60) may be appropriately set so that all the peaks 33A of the filter 33a and the contact portions 61 and 62 of the vibration member 60 are in contact with each other.

  In addition, the dust removal mechanism 51 mentioned above was demonstrated by providing in the dust collector 30. FIG. In this case, the dust removing mechanism 51 is provided on the upper part of the filter unit 33, and at least the knob 53 b of the operation unit 53 is provided so as to be located outside the upper cover 32. For this reason, when the lid 3 is opened in a state where the dust collecting device 30 is mounted in the dust collecting chamber 39 of the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1, dust removal work can be performed. Moreover, even if the dust collecting device 30 is taken out from the dust collecting chamber 39 of the vacuum cleaner 1, the dust removing operation can be performed. Here, the knob 53b of the operation unit 53 is not shown in FIG. 4, for example, so as to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the present invention, but is provided in a state of being exposed on the upper surface of the upper cover 32 as shown in FIG. It has been.

  According to the dust removal mechanism 51 of the present invention, as described above, after the dust removal operation (operation), the dust collected and adhered to the filter 33a is removed, and the removed dust is collected together with the dust collected in the dust collecting container 31. Dust is collected. In order to discard the collected dust, the upper cover 32 may be separated (opened) from the dust collecting container 31. Therefore, the locking mechanism 32A is operated to lock the upper cover 32 and the dust collecting container 31, and the locking claw 32d is released. As a result, the dust collecting container 31 is opened as shown in FIG. 8, and the opening 31d is opened downward by the action of the spring, so that the dust in the dust collecting container 31 can be reliably discarded.

  At this time, since the filter unit 33 is held by the upper cover 32, it can be discarded without touching the collecting surface side of the filter. Moreover, since the dust removal mechanism 51 is also provided on the upper cover 32 and the contact portions 61 and 62 are maintained in contact with the filter 33a, there is no problem in the disposal work.

  On the other hand, the filter unit 33 is held by the upper cover 32, but can be separated from the upper cover 32 and replaced. In this case, the upper cover 32 is rotated in a state where the protruding portion 33e exposed from the notch 32f of the upper cover 32 of the filter unit 33 is pressed, so that the press-fitted state via the packing member 33c is solved. The filter unit 33 is placed in a state of covering the opening of the dust collecting container 31 (see FIG. 5B). In this state, the rotation support state can be solved by opening the support portion 33d outward. Then, the knob 33e of the filter unit 33 is held, the old filter unit 33 is discarded, and replacement with a new filter unit is possible.

  In this case, since the dust removal mechanism 51 is provided on the upper cover 32 side, the replacement of the filter unit 33 is not hindered at all. Further, the dust removal mechanism 51 is not damaged or damaged.

(Other forms of the dust collector of the present invention)
The dust collector 30 described above is configured so that the filter unit 33 is also rotatably supported like the upper cover 32. However, the filter unit 33 may be separated from the upper cover 32 when necessary, while being normally held by the upper cover 32.

  Therefore, the support part 33d of the filter unit 33 is eliminated. The filter unit 33 is held in a state where it is press-fitted into the upper cover 32 by a packing member 33c. Even in such a configuration, the dust removal work can be performed by the dust removal mechanism 51, that is, in a state where the upper cover 32 is closed with respect to the dust collection container 31. After the work, when the dust is discarded, the filter unit 33 is also held by the upper cover 32 even if the upper cover 32 is opened, and the collected dust can be reliably discarded as described above.

  For filter replacement, the filter unit 33 can be separated from the upper cover 32 by opening the filter unit 33 to the upper cover 32 in a state where the filter unit 33 is placed on the dust collecting container 31 side. For this operation, as described above, the upper cover 32 may be opened by pressing the convex portion 33e of the filter unit 33 against the container side.

  Further, the upper cover 32 and the dust collecting container 31 are rotatably supported. However, the upper cover 32 may be normally held in the dust collecting container 32 including the filter unit 33, and the two may be provided so as to be separable as required. In order to hold both together, a locking mechanism or the like can be provided, and the locking mechanism can be released to separate the two.

(Other forms of dust removal mechanism of the present invention)
The dust removal mechanism 51 described above has been described as a configuration for rotating the operation unit 53. However, the operation unit may be configured so that the moving unit 52 can be slid in the moving direction with respect to the support 55. In such a configuration, by reciprocating the operation portion 53, the vibration member 60 can be reciprocated, and can be vibrated through the contact portions 61 and 62 to remove dust.

  In this case, the connecting portion has a connecting configuration in which the operation portion 53 and the moving portion 52 are directly connected. Alternatively, since the operation direction of the operation unit 53 and the movement direction of the moving unit 52 coincide with each other, if a connecting unit with a simple structure, for example, a connecting unit that locks each other and holds the locked state is provided. Good. When directly fixing each other, for the purpose of considering assembly or the like, it may be connected and fixed with a fixing member such as a screw.

  Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the operation unit 53 is provided to be rotatable. Therefore, you may comprise so that the moving part 52 may be provided so that rotation movement is possible. In this case, it can be configured by providing a disk-shaped rotational movement portion on the rotation shaft 53a and providing a plurality of contact portions on the lower surface of the disk. If the rotating shaft 53a and the rotationally moving part are connected by the connecting part as described above, the assembling work is simplified. In addition, you may make it fix the rotating shaft 53a and a rotational movement part with a fixing member, without providing a connection part.

  As described above, according to the dust removal mechanism 51 of the embodiment described in detail above with respect to other configuration examples such as the dust removal mechanism, the conversion unit that converts the rotation operation into the linear movement can be used also as the connection unit 54. Therefore, the entire region of the filter 33a can be vibrated efficiently by considering the shapes of the moving unit 52, the vibrating member 60, and the like.

  In this regard, if the moving unit 52 is configured to rotate, the circular region may be covered, but the entire filter length and the entire region may not be covered. In such a case, when the filter is square in plan view, almost the entire region can be covered. Therefore, according to the shape of the filter unit 33, the shape of the dust removing mechanism 51, in particular, the movement of the moving part (including rotation), the configuration of the vibration member, and the contact part may be appropriately designed.

(Other forms of operation unit)
The operation unit 53 for manually operating the dust removal mechanism 51 is not configured by the rotation shaft 53a and the knob 53b as shown in FIG. 9, but may be configured as shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 11, the operation portion 53 is provided rotatably on the operation lever 53c supported by the shaft 53d on the upper end portion of the rotation shaft 53a and on the opposite side of the shaft support portion of the operation lever 53c. And the selected knob 53e. Therefore, the rotary shaft 53a can be rotated by holding the knob 53e and rotating it in any direction.

  When the rotation operation is not performed, the operation unit 53 can be put into the retracted state by rotating the operation lever 53c in the opposite direction about the shaft 53d (rotation to a position indicated by a broken line). . Therefore, in order to accommodate the protruding knob 53e, a recess 32i is formed in which a part of the top surface of the upper cover 32 is recessed toward the filter side. With such a configuration of the operation unit 53, the rotation operation is simple, and the dust removal effect can be further enhanced.

Industrial application fields

  Although the present invention has been described in the form applied to a self-propelled cleaner, it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to a normal cleaner.

1 Vacuum cleaner (Self-propelled vacuum cleaner / Robot vacuum cleaner)
3 Lid 30 Dust Collector 31 Dust Collection Container 32 Upper Cover 33 Filter 33a Filter (Main Body)
33b Frame 33c Packing member 33d Supporting part 39 Dust collection chamber 51 Dust removal mechanism 52 Moving part 53 Operating part 53a Rotating shaft 54b Knob 54 Connecting part 54a Rotating plate 54b Connecting pin 54c Connecting body 60 Vibrating member 61, 62 Contact part

Claims (8)

A dust collecting container that has an inlet for introducing sucked air and collects dust, a filter that collects dust contained in air provided corresponding to an opening of the dust collecting container, and the filter A dust collector including a cover that forms an exhaust space for exhausting air passing through the filter from the exhaust port of the cleaner body,
The filter is held by the cover and provided to be separable from the dust collecting container,
A dust collector provided with a dust removal mechanism that vibrates the filter in the cover and removes dust adhering to the filter.   The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover is pivotally supported with respect to the dust collecting container and is rotatable with respect to the dust collecting container together with the filter held by the cover.   The filter is provided to be separable with respect to the held cover, while the cover is provided so as to be rotatable coaxially with a shaft portion pivotally supported with respect to the dust collecting container. 2. The dust collector according to 2. The dust removal mechanism includes a moving unit movable with respect to the filter, an operating unit for moving the moving unit, and a connecting unit for transmitting the operation of the operating unit to the moving unit.
The dust collector according to claim 1, wherein a vibrating member that vibrates the filter is provided in the moving unit. The operation unit has a knob for rotating operation,
The connecting portion has a connecting body that also serves as a converting portion that converts the rotary operation of the knob into a linear motion,
The moving part is provided so as to be able to reciprocate on a support body to which the connecting body is attached and arranged in the direction of direct movement,
The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration member includes a contact portion that contacts the filter and vibrates the filter.   The dust collecting device according to claim 5, wherein the vibrating members are arranged in a plurality of rows in the moving direction, and each vibrating member includes a plurality of contact portions.   The dust collector according to claim 6, wherein the contact portion is arranged so that a timing of contacting the filter is shifted with respect to a moving direction. A vacuum cleaner comprising the dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The dust collection chamber can be mounted in a dust collection chamber in which the inlet of the dust collecting container communicates with the suction port of the cleaner body and the exhaust space communicates with the exhaust port of the cleaner body. A vacuum cleaner that allows the dust collector to be removed from the dust chamber.