JP2023133858A - Pipe of vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

To obtain a pipe of a vacuum cleaner having higher usability.SOLUTION: A pipe of a vacuum cleaner is arranged between a grip part 8 and a suction tool 3 in the vacuum cleaner. The pipe of the vacuum cleaner includes: a hard pipe 6 constituted to be kept in a linear state even when fixed or more force is applied from a user; and a soft pipe 4 constituted to be changed over between a stored state in the hard pipe 6 and an extended state from the hard pipe 6 toward the suction tool 3, and also to be bent by application of fixed or more force from the user in the extended state from the hard pipe 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner pipe and a vacuum cleaner.

Patent Document 1 describes a vacuum cleaner. This vacuum cleaner includes an extension pipe as a vacuum cleaner pipe provided between the grip portion and the suction tool.

Patent No. 6750541

In Patent Document 1, the extension tube, which is a pipe for a vacuum cleaner, is a long, straight, hard member. When cleaning under furniture, etc. with a vacuum cleaner equipped with such a vacuum cleaner pipe, the user must bend over. Further, for example, if the entire pipe for a vacuum cleaner is made of a member such as a bellows-shaped hose that is soft and easy to bend, it will bend unnecessarily when cleaning a floor surface, etc., making it inconvenient to use.

The present disclosure is intended to solve the above problems. An object of the present disclosure is to obtain a vacuum cleaner pipe and a vacuum cleaner that are more convenient for users.

A pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure is a pipe for a vacuum cleaner provided between a grip part of a vacuum cleaner and a suction tool, and the pipe maintains a straight line even when a force above a certain level is applied by a user. A rigid pipe configured to be maintained in the state of and a soft pipe configured to bend when a force above a certain level is applied to the soft pipe.
Further, a vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure includes the vacuum cleaner pipe described above, a grip portion, and a suction tool.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a vacuum cleaner pipe and a vacuum cleaner that are more user-friendly for users.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner pipe according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner pipe according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the example of use of the vacuum cleaner provided with the pipe for vacuum cleaners of Embodiment 1. It is a figure explaining the example of the structure of the flexible pipe with which the pipe for vacuum cleaners of Embodiment 1 is provided. It is a figure explaining another example of the structure of the soft pipe with which the pipe for vacuum cleaners of Embodiment 1 is provided. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flexible pipe expansion/contraction assist mechanism included in the vacuum cleaner pipe of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of the vacuum cleaner provided with the pipe for vacuum cleaners of Embodiment 1.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, common or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. Note that the present disclosure may include various modifications of the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1.
1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a vacuum cleaner equipped with a vacuum cleaner pipe according to the first embodiment. Note that although FIGS. 1 and 2 show a stick-type vacuum cleaner as an example of the vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure may be, for example, of a canister type.

The vacuum cleaner pipe according to the present embodiment is a vacuum cleaner pipe provided between the grip part 8 and the suction tool 3 of the vacuum cleaner. The user uses the vacuum cleaner while holding the grip part 8. The suction tool 3 may be a so-called cleaner head as shown in the figure, or may be any other device such as a nozzle-like device with an elongated tip.

An air passage leading to the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner is formed inside the vacuum cleaner pipe. Dust and the like that are suctioned and removed from arbitrary objects to be cleaned, such as floors and furniture, by the suction tool 3 pass through the air passage inside the vacuum cleaner pipe and are collected in the dust collecting section provided in the main body 2. The main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner includes, for example, a dust collector that collects dust and the like, an electric blower that generates suction air, and the like. Further, in this embodiment, as an example, a grip portion 8 is attached to the main body 2.

The vacuum cleaner pipe according to the present embodiment includes a hard pipe 6 and a soft pipe 4. The hard pipe 6 is a straight pipe-shaped member. The hard pipe 6 is configured to be maintained in a straight state even when a user applies a force above a certain level. The hard pipe 6 is made of, for example, a resin material such as hard plastic.

The soft pipe 4 is a pipe-shaped member configured to be switchable between a state housed in the hard pipe 6 and a state expanded from the hard pipe 6 toward the suction tool 3 side. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the soft pipe 4 is completely expanded from the hard pipe 6. Further, in the state shown in FIG. 2, the soft pipe 4 is entirely housed in the hard pipe 6.

For example, the hard pipe 6 is provided with a positioning switch 9 for storing and deploying the soft pipe 4. The user can store and unfold the soft pipe 4 by moving the soft pipe 4 while pressing the positioning switch 9. As a state different from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of the soft pipe 4 may be housed in the hard pipe 6. The user may adjust the amount of expansion of the soft pipe 4 from the hard pipe 6 by moving the soft pipe 4 while pressing the positioning switch 9. Note that the mechanism for storing and deploying the soft pipe 4, that is, the mechanism for adjusting the amount of deployment of the soft pipe 4 from the hard pipe 6, may be any mechanism other than the positioning switch 9.

The hard pipe 6 may be configured to be switchable between a state where it is housed in the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner and a state where it is expanded from the main body 2 toward the suction tool 3 side. For example, the main body 2 may be provided with a positioning switch 10 for storing and deploying the rigid pipe 6. The user can store and unfold the rigid pipe 6 by moving the rigid pipe 6 while pressing the positioning switch 10. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the rigid pipe 6 is completely expanded from the main body 2. Further, in the state shown in FIG. 2, a portion of the hard pipe 6 is housed in the main body 2. As a state different from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire rigid pipe 6 may be housed in the main body 2. The user may adjust the amount of expansion of the rigid pipe 6 from the main body 2 by moving the rigid pipe 6 while pressing the positioning switch 10. Note that the mechanism for storing and deploying the hard pipe 6, that is, the mechanism for adjusting the amount of deployment of the hard pipe 6 from the main body 2, is not based on the positioning switch 10, and any mechanism can be used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of use of the vacuum cleaner equipped with the vacuum cleaner pipe of Embodiment 1. The soft pipe 4 is configured to bend when a user applies a force above a certain level when the soft pipe 4 is expanded from the hard pipe 6. The soft pipe 4 is made of, for example, a rubber material having restoring force, a soft resin material, or the like. Alternatively, the soft pipe 4 may be configured as a bellows-shaped bendable member. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, when cleaning under the furniture 13, the user expands the soft pipe 4 from the hard pipe 6 and presses the grip part 8 toward the floor to clean the soft pipe. 4 can be bent. By bending the soft pipe 4, the user can clean under the furniture 13 without bending down.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, by housing the soft pipe 4 in the hard pipe 6, the entire vacuum cleaner pipe can be kept in an unbent state. According to this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner pipe can be switched between a bending state and an unbending state without requiring replacement of attachments or the like. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of expansion of the soft pipe 4 and the hard pipe 6, the length of the entire vacuum cleaner pipe can be adjusted. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a vacuum cleaner pipe and a vacuum cleaner that are more user-friendly for the user.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the structure of the soft pipe 4 included in the vacuum cleaner pipe of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another specific example of the structure of the soft pipe 4 included in the vacuum cleaner pipe of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 1, for example, the soft pipe 4 includes a pipe portion 4a in which an air passage is formed, and a spring material portion 4b that fixes the bending direction of the pipe portion 4a. . The pipe portion 4a is formed from a rubber material, a soft resin material, or the like. Alternatively, the pipe portion 4a may be configured as a bellows-shaped pipe. In the example of FIG. 4, the spring member 4b is configured as a wire-shaped member made of two elastic spring materials.

If the direction in which the suction tool 3 is mainly moved is the front-back direction when the user holds the grip part 8 in use, the wire-shaped spring material parts 4b are provided on the left and right sides of the pipe part 4a. Thereby, the bending direction of the soft pipe 4 can be fixed in the front-rear direction, making it more convenient to use. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, a leaf spring-like spring member 4c may be provided instead of the wire-like spring member 4b.

Moreover, FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the expansion-contraction assist mechanism of the soft pipe 4 with which the pipe for vacuum cleaners of Embodiment 1 is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum cleaner may be equipped with a telescoping assist mechanism that assists in storing and expanding the soft pipe 4. The expansion/contraction assist mechanism includes, for example, a positioning switch 9 and a wire storage mechanism 11 that stores the wire-shaped spring member 4b in a rolled-up manner. According to the expansion/contraction assist mechanism shown in FIG. 6, when the soft pipe 4 is expanded, a force that assists the soft pipe 4 in the direction of stretching can be generated by the restoring force of the spring member 4b.

Moreover, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the vacuum cleaner provided with the vacuum cleaner pipe of Embodiment 1. In this modification, the soft pipe 4 includes a shape memory alloy section 14 made of a shape memory alloy instead of the spring material section 4b. In the illustrated example, the shape memory alloy part 14 is wire-shaped, but the shape of the shape memory alloy part 14 is not limited to this example.

In this modification, when the temperature of the soft pipe 4 is lower than the shape recovery temperature of the shape memory alloy, no restoring force is generated in the shape memory alloy part 14, and the user cannot maintain the soft pipe 4 in a bent state. can. The user can maintain the flexible pipe 4 bent into any shape. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, it becomes possible to easily clean the storage shelves 17 and the like located near the ceiling.

In order to restore the soft pipe 4 to its straight shape, for example, the shape memory alloy portion 14 may be energized by the energizing device 15 or the like to raise the temperature. Note that the temperature increase in the shape memory alloy portion 14 is not limited to being caused by energization, and may be heated by a heater or the like. As shown in FIG. 7, the mechanism for increasing the temperature of the shape memory alloy part 14 may be provided, for example, in the hard pipe 6 or in the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner. That is, the shape memory alloy part 14 may communicate to the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner. A mechanism for increasing the temperature of the shape memory alloy part 14, such as the energizing device 15, is driven, for example, when a switch 16 provided on the grip part 8 is operated by a user. By using the shape memory alloy portion 14, it is possible to obtain a vacuum cleaner pipe that is more convenient to use.

2 Main body, 3 Suction tool, 4 Soft pipe, 4a Pipe section, 4b Spring material section, 4c Spring material section, 6 Hard pipe, 8 Grip section, 9 Positioning switch, 10 Positioning switch, 11 Wire storage mechanism, 13 Furniture, 14 Shape memory alloy section, 16 switch, 17 storage shelf

Claims (6)

A pipe for a vacuum cleaner provided between a grip part and a suction tool of a vacuum cleaner,
A rigid pipe configured to remain in a straight state even when a force above a certain level is applied by a user;
It is possible to switch between a state housed in the hard pipe and a state deployed from the hard pipe toward the suction tool side, and when a force above a certain level is applied by the user in the state deployed from the hard pipe. a flexible pipe configured to bend;
Vacuum cleaner pipe with. 2. The pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the soft pipe includes a pipe portion in which an air passage is formed, and a spring material portion that fixes a bending direction of the pipe portion. 2. The pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the soft pipe includes a pipe portion in which an air passage is formed, and a shape memory alloy portion that fixes the state of the pipe portion. The vacuum cleaner pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a mechanism that adjusts the amount of expansion of the soft pipe from the hard pipe. The hard pipe is configured to be switchable between a state housed in the main body of the vacuum cleaner and a state developed from the main body toward the suction tool,
The pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a mechanism that adjusts the amount of expansion of the hard pipe from the main body. A pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The gripping portion;
The suction device;
Vacuum cleaner with.

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