JP2024047551A - Vacuum Cleaner System - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vacuum cleaner system that prevents the structure for discharging dust from the dust collection unit from becoming complicated. [Solution] The vacuum cleaner system includes a vacuum cleaner including a main body 10 having a first electric blower and a first dust collection unit 50, and a dust collection device including a second dust collection unit that communicates with the first dust collection unit 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner. The first dust collection unit 50 includes a first dust collection container 52 having a dust collection chamber, an opening/closing unit capable of opening and closing a disposal port, and a locking unit 55A that locks the opening/closing unit in a closed state. The opening/closing unit is opened by releasing the locking unit 55A. The dust collection device includes a receiving unit 130 that receives the first dust collection unit 50, and the locking unit 55A can be released from the outside of the receiving unit 130 that receives the first dust collection unit 50. [Selected Figure] Fig. 20

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner system.

As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-283327, a conventional vacuum cleaner that generates a suction air current and collects dust with the generated air current is provided, which is made up of a vacuum cleaner main body having a dust case on the main body side that collects and stores dust, and an installation stand having a dust case on the installation stand side that stores dust from the dust case on the main body side, and is provided with a means for discharging dust in the dust case on the main body side of the vacuum cleaner main body into the dust case on the installation stand side when the vacuum cleaner main body is installed on the installation stand. The vacuum cleaner in the above patent document is provided with valves on both the vacuum cleaner main body and the installation stand, and dust can be discharged by opening the valves by operating a button on the vacuum cleaner main body.

JP 2004-283327 A

However, the vacuum cleaner in the above patent document has a problem in that the mechanism for opening and closing the valve is complicated.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vacuum cleaner system that prevents the structure for discharging dust from the dust collection section from becoming complicated.

The vacuum cleaner system of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a vacuum cleaner having a main body having a first electric blower that generates suction force and a first dust collecting section that collects dust, and a dust collection device having a second dust collecting section that collects dust and communicates with the first dust collecting section to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner, the first dust collecting section having a dust collection container having a dust collection chamber in which dust accumulates, an opening/closing section that can open and close a waste port at the bottom of the dust collection container when the first dust collecting section is attached to the main body, and a locking section that locks the opening/closing section in a closed state, the opening/closing section can be moved away from the dust collection chamber by releasing the locking section to open the opening/closing section, and the dust collection device has a receiving section that receives the first dust collecting section, and the locking section can be released from the outside of the receiving section that receives the first dust collecting section.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system of the present invention as described above, the locking part can be released from outside the receiving part. This makes it possible for the vacuum cleaner system of the present invention to prevent the structure for discharging dust from the first dust collecting part from becoming complicated.

This invention makes it possible to prevent the structure for discharging dust from the first dust collection section from becoming complicated.

1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a first dust collecting unit in the vacuum cleaner with the opening/closing unit in a closed state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a dust collecting unit attached to the vacuum cleaner body. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the dust collecting unit of FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the dust collecting unit of FIG. 4 . 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first inner cylinder is disposed inside an outer cylinder in the dust collecting unit of FIG. 4 . FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a dust collection device included in a vacuum cleaner system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a main part of the vacuum cleaner system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a vacuum cleaner system according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a receiving portion of a vacuum cleaner system according to a second embodiment. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an opening/closing section and a locking section, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the opening/closing section and the locking section. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a first dust collecting section according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a first dust collecting section according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a main part of a first dust collecting section according to a modified example. 13 is an enlarged side view of the vicinity of a dust-collection-part attachment part to which a first dust-collection part according to a modified example is attached to the main body part. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example in which the receiving portion is not provided with an opening means. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example in which a release means is not provided on the receiving portion. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a lock portion is exposed so as to be operable from the outside of a receiving portion. FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a notch is provided at a position corresponding to a locking portion in a receiving portion. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example in which the receiving portion is not provided with an opening means and a releasing means. FIG.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a vacuum cleaner system S including the same will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the overall configuration of the vacuum cleaner 1 will be outlined, and then the main parts will be described in more detail. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships in the up-down direction, front-rear direction, left-right direction (width direction), etc. will be described based on the state in which the vacuum cleaner 1 is erected as shown in FIG.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner 1 is a vacuum cleaner with a stick-shaped (vertical) appearance. The vacuum cleaner 1 can be, for example, a rechargeable type or one that obtains power from an external power source via a power cord. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes a main body 10, a handle 20, a first dust collection section 50 (dust collection section), an extension tube 180, and a suction tool 190. The vacuum cleaner system S can be arranged in an upright state on the stand 200 with the suction tool 190 placed on the stand 200.

The main body 10 forms the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1 and is the part that exerts suction power to collect dust. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the main body 10 includes, inside the main body case 12 that forms the housing, a first electric blower 14 (electric blower) for sucking in air and generating an airflow, a drive circuit for driving other electronic components, and other components.

The main body 10 includes a battery storage section 15 that stores a battery 15a. The battery 15a (battery storage section 15) is provided in an area of the main body 10 that is rearward of the position where the handle section 20 is provided.

The lower end of the main body 10 is provided with a suction port 38y for connecting an extension tube 180 or a suction tool 190. The main body 10 has a tube section 38x that forms the suction port 38y at one end and forms an outlet that communicates with the inlet of the first dust collecting section 50. The suction port 38y is provided on the lower side of the main body 10 in the vertical direction. The battery storage section 15 is arranged to be aligned with the handle section 20 in a direction (front-back direction) perpendicular to the axial direction (vertical direction) of the main body 10. In other words, the first electric blower 14 and the battery storage section 15 are arranged to be aligned in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the main body 10.

The handle section 20 is a section provided for a user of the vacuum cleaner 1 to grip the main body section 10. Between the handle section 20 and the main body section 10, an opening 22 is formed for inserting a hand. The opening 22 is opened so that its length in the up-down direction is greater than its length in the front-rear direction. The vacuum cleaner 1 is configured so that the user can grip the main body section 10, for example, by inserting his/her fingers, except for the thumb, through the opening portion formed by the handle section 20. The handle section 20 is provided on the upper side of the main body section 10. The handle section 20 is also located on the front side of the main body section 10. The main body section 10 also has an external exhaust port on one or both sides in the left-right direction for discharging the exhaust air of the first electric blower 14 to the outside.

The first dust collecting section 50 is a section where dust sucked by the vacuum cleaner 1 is collected. The first dust collecting section 50 is provided so as to be continuous with the main body section 10. Specifically, the first dust collecting section 50 is arranged so as to be aligned with the first electric blower 14 in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the main body section 10. The first dust collecting section 50 is also arranged so as to be aligned with the tube section 38x in a direction (front-back direction) perpendicular to the axial direction (vertical direction) of the main body section 10. In this embodiment, the first dust collecting section 50 is a cyclone-type dust collecting container that can centrifuge at least a portion of the dust from the air sucked in by the operation of the electric blower.

The extension tube 180 is a cylindrical member that detachably connects the main body 10 and the suction tool 190. One end of the extension tube 180 is shaped so that it can be inserted into the suction port 38y provided in the tube portion 38x of the main body 10, and the other end is shaped so that it can be connected to the suction tool 190. By connecting the main body 10 and the suction tool 190 via the extension tube 180, a continuous path (air passage) can be formed from the suction tool 190 to the main body 10.

The suction tool 190 is connected directly to the suction port 38y of the main body 10, or indirectly via the extension tube 180. The suction tool 190 has a suction port 192 (see FIG. 10) and a joint 194. The suction port 192 opens toward the bottom. The joint 194 can be connected to the suction port 38y or the extension tube 180. The distinctive features of the suction tool 190 will be described in detail later.

The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is generally configured as described above. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 has the above-mentioned parts arranged in a characteristic manner. Specifically, in the vertical direction of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the upper end of the opening 22 is located at a position below the upper end of the battery 15a. Also, in the vertical direction of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the upper end of the battery storage section 15 is located at a position below the upper end of the handle section 20. In the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the battery 15a and the handle section 20 are arranged on the upper side in the vertical direction, with a boundary line H that passes through the center position of the first electric blower 14 and extends along the front-to-rear direction as a boundary. Also, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the handle section 20 and the battery 15a are arranged to face each other, with a central axis V that passes through the center position of the first electric blower 14 and extends along the vertical direction as a boundary. In the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the tube section 38x and the handle section 20 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is arranged so that the central axis of the first dust collecting section 50 coincides with the central axis V of the first electric blower 14. The first electric blower 14 may be arranged so that the central axis V is shifted forward from the rotation axis of the first dust collecting section 50.

Second Embodiment
Next, a description will be given of a vacuum cleaner 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a vacuum cleaner system S including the same. In this embodiment, components common to the above-described vacuum cleaner 1 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

<Overall configuration of the vacuum cleaner system S>
As shown in Fig. 9, the vacuum cleaner system S includes a vacuum cleaner 1 and a dust collection device 100. The vacuum cleaner system S includes a stand 200 in addition to the dust collection device 100, but the stand 200 may be included as part of the dust collection device 100. The vacuum cleaner system S is capable of collecting dust collected in the vacuum cleaner 1 in the dust collection device 100 when the vacuum cleaner 1 is set on the stand 200. The vacuum cleaner system S is characterized by the configuration of the first dust collection section 50 included in the vacuum cleaner 1, the configuration of the dust collection device 100, the configuration of the stand 200, etc. The characteristic configurations of the vacuum cleaner system S and the vacuum cleaner 1 of the second embodiment will be described in more detail below.

<<Configuration of first dust collecting section 50>>
The first dust collecting section 50 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 3 to 9. The first dust collecting section 50 is detachably provided on the main body 10. The first dust collecting section 50 is a so-called cyclone type dust collecting device. That is, the first dust collecting section 50 is configured to introduce the air sucked by operating the first electric blower 14 into the first dust collecting container 52, form a swirling air current in the first dust collecting container 52, and collect dust contained in the air in the process of discharging the air. The first dust collecting section 50 can adopt a so-called single-stage or multiple-stage separation method, but the present embodiment adopts a single-stage separation method.

The first dust collecting section 50 is disposed on one side (lower side) of the main body 10 in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner 1). The first dust collecting section 50 has a first dust collecting container 52 (outer cylinder) and a structure 54, and a dust collecting space 56 is formed between them. The first dust collecting section 50 is capable of forming a swirling air current that swirls between the structure 54 and the first dust collecting container 52 by air introduced into the dust collecting space 56. The first dust collecting section 50 is detachable from the main body 10 at a position below the first electric blower 14. For example, the first dust collecting section 50 may be configured such that the bottom side is engaged with the tube section 38x and the upper side is provided with a lock button that locks or unlocks the main body case 12, or the bottom side is provided with a lock button that locks or unlocks the tube section 38x and the upper side is engaged with the main body case 12.

The first dust collecting container 52 shown in Figures 3 to 6 is a container for accumulating dust inside. The first dust collecting container 52 is a hollow cylinder. As a result, the first dust collecting section 50 is provided with a first dust collecting chamber 52a that forms a dust collecting space 56 inside the first dust collecting container 52. The first dust collecting container 52 is open on the other side (upper side) in the axial direction. The first dust collecting container 52 also has a waste opening 52b and an opening/closing section 52c at the lower end side of the first dust collecting chamber 52a.

The first dust collecting container 52 has a waste port 52b (opening) on one side (lower side) in the vertical direction. The waste port 52b is an opening for disposing of dust from the first dust collecting chamber 52a. The waste port 52b opens at the lower end of the first dust collecting chamber 52a. In addition, the opening/closing part 52c can close the waste port 52b at the bottom of the first dust collecting chamber 52a when the first dust collecting part 50 is attached to the main body part 10. Therefore, when the opening/closing part 52c is in the open state, the dust accumulated in the first dust collecting chamber 52a can be disposed of through the waste port 52b. An example of the opening/closing part 52c is a lid or a valve, but in this embodiment, a lid that can close the waste port 52b is the opening/closing part 52c. The opening/closing part 52c is connected to the first dust collecting chamber 52a (the outer cylinder constituting the first dust collecting container 52) so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 52e. The opening/closing portion 52c has an abutment portion 52f in an area on one side of the pivot shaft 52e, and a closing portion 52g in an area on the other side.

The abutment portion 52f is capable of being abutted by the second abutment portion 152 provided on the receiving portion 130 of the dust collection device 100, which will be described later in detail. The blocking portion 52g is a portion that blocks the disposal port 52b. The opening/closing portion 52c can rotate the blocking portion 52g so that the blocking portion 52g moves away from the disposal port 52b by applying a force to the abutment portion 52f, such as by abutting the second abutment portion 152 against the abutment portion 52f. This allows the disposal port 52b to be opened. In addition, it is preferable that the opening/closing portion 52c is biased by a biasing member 52h (torsion spring in this embodiment) at a portion closer to the abutment portion 52f than the pivot shaft 52e. This biases the blocking portion 52g in the direction of closing the disposal port 52b. The opening/closing part 52c can rotate the blocking part 52g so that the blocking part 52g moves away from the waste port 52b by applying a force to the contact part 52f against the biasing force of the biasing member 52h by contacting the second contact part 152 with the contact part 52f, thereby opening the waste port 52b. The waste port 52b has an opening surface perpendicular to the axial direction of the first dust collecting container 52, but may have an opening surface inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first dust collecting container 52. For example, the opening surface of the waste port 52b may be inclined toward one side or the other side of the axial direction of the first dust collecting container 52 as it moves away from the rotation shaft 52e. This makes it easier for dust in the first dust collecting chamber 52a to form clumps, making it easier for the dust collecting device 100 to suck them up.

The first dust collecting section 50 is configured such that a locking section 55, as shown in FIG. 13(a) in schematic form, is provided on either the opening/closing section 52c (closing section 52g) or the first dust collecting container 52. The locking section 55 can lock the operation of the opening/closing section 52c when the disposal port 52b of the first dust collecting container 52 is closed (closed state) by the opening/closing section 52c (closing section 52g). The locking section 55 includes an abutment section 57 and a rotating shaft 58. The abutment section 57 is supported by the rotating shaft 58 so as to be rotatable. The abutment section 57 has an engagement section 57a on one side via the rotating shaft 58, and an abutment area 57b on the other side.

The engaging portion 57a is capable of engaging with and disengaging from the engaged portion 52k provided on the bottom surface of the opening/closing portion 52c. When the opening/closing portion 52c is blocking the waste port 52b of the first dust collecting container 52, the locking portion 55 can engage the engaging portion 57a with the engaged portion 52k to fix the opening/closing portion 52c in a locked state in which it cannot be opened or closed (it cannot rotate around the rotating shaft 52e). The engaging portion 57a may be biased by a spring so as to rotate in the engaging direction. Conversely, the locking portion 55 can release the engaging portion 57a from the engaged portion 52k by applying a pressing force from below to above in the abutment region 57b located on the opposite side of the abutment portion 57a from the rotating shaft 58 in the abutment portion 57. This allows the locking portion 55 to be in an unlocked state in which the opening/closing portion 52c can freely rotate (it can rotate around the rotating shaft 52e).

The first dust collection unit 50 is configured by providing a locking portion 55A, as shown in FIG. 13(b), on the first dust collection container 52. The locking portion 55A can lock the operation of the opening/closing portion 52c when the disposal port 52b of the first dust collection container 52 is closed (closed state) by the opening/closing portion 52c (blocking portion 52g). The locking portion 55A includes an abutment portion 57 and a rotating shaft 58. The abutment portion 57 is supported so as to be rotatable by the rotating shaft 58. The abutment portion 57 has a locking portion 57a1 on one side via the rotating shaft 58, and an abutment area 57b on the other side.

The locking portion 57a1 is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the locked portion 52k1 provided on the opening/closing portion 52c. When the opening/closing portion 52c is blocking the waste port 52b of the first dust collecting container 52, the locking portion 55A can lock the locking portion 57a1 to the locked portion 52k1 and fix the opening/closing portion 52c in a locked state in which it cannot be opened or closed (it cannot rotate around the rotating shaft 52e). The locking portion 57a1 may be biased by an elastic member 59a (e.g., a spring, rubber) so as to rotate in the direction of engagement. Conversely, the locking portion 55A can release the locking portion 57a1 from the locked portion 52k1 by applying a pressing force from below to above in the abutment area 57b located on the opposite side of the abutment portion 57a1 from the rotating shaft 58 in the abutment portion 57 to rotate the abutment portion 57. This allows the locking section 55A to be in an unlocked state in which the opening/closing section 52c can rotate freely (around the rotation axis 52e).

The locking portion 55A is preferably located closer to the tube portion 38x than the rotating shaft 52e to prevent the user from unintentionally touching it. The locking portion 55A also preferably has a casing 59b (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13(b)) that houses the abutment portion 57, the rotating shaft 58, and the elastic member 59a. The engaging portion 52k1 also preferably protrudes radially beyond the first dust collection container 52.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the first dust collecting container 52 has a dust collecting inlet 52x (inlet) on the periphery. The dust collecting inlet 52x is an inlet for allowing air sucked from the suction port 38y into the air passage formed inside the tube 38x to flow into the inside of the first dust collecting container 52. The dust collecting inlet 52x is provided at a position corresponding to an opening provided at the end of the tube 38x, and is located, for example, in the middle of the first dust collecting container 52 in the vertical direction (axial direction). Therefore, by attaching the first dust collecting unit 50 to the main body 10, the dust collecting inlet 52x can be connected to the air passage formed inside the tube 38x. In addition, the dust collecting inlet 52x can introduce air discharged from the air passage formed inside the tube 38x into the dust collecting space 56 in the tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the first dust collecting container 52. Therefore, the air introduced into the dust collection space 56 from the dust collection section inlet 52x forms a swirling flow that flows along the inner circumferential surface of the first dust collection container 52.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the structure 54 is a member disposed inside the first dust collecting container 52. The structure 54 is a member that constitutes the dust collecting space 56 into which air flows between the structure 54 and the first dust collecting container 52. The structure 54 is disposed so that the axial center position is approximately the same as that of the first dust collecting container 52. The structure 54 has a portion (tapered portion 70 described later) that is formed so that the outer shape becomes smaller from one side (upper side in the figure) in the axial direction toward the other side (lower side in the figure). The structure 54 has a first inner tube 60 (inner tube) and one side tube portion 64, and further has a connector 62, which is not an essential component. The first inner tube 60 is connected to the one side tube portion 64, but if the connector 62 is provided, it is connected to at least one of the one side tube portion 64 and the connector 62.

As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the first inner tube 60 has a tapered portion 70 and an extending portion 72. The first inner tube 60 also has a first guide portion 74 and a second guide portion 76 on the outer periphery of the tapered portion 70.

The tapered section 70 is a section formed so that its outer shape becomes smaller from one axial side (upper side in the figure) to the other axial side (lower side in the figure). The tapered section 70 is formed in a truncated cone shape, and the outer circumferential surface is formed so that it slopes linearly toward the axial center as it moves from one axial side to the other axial side. The tapered section 70 is open toward one axial side (upper side), while having a closed section 70a that is closed on the other axial side (lower side).

4, the tapered portion 70 is formed so that the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 70b on one side of the axial direction is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first dust collection container 52. In addition, a circumferential groove 70c extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 70b. The tapered portion 70 can form a first sealing portion 73 that seals the gap formed between the inner peripheral surface of the first dust collection container 52 and the tapered portion 70 by an airtight member (first airtight member 70d) made of an O-ring or the like attached to the circumferential groove 70c. That is, by setting the tapered portion 70 inside the first dust collection container 52 with the blocking portion 70a facing the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52, the first sealing portion 73 in which the first airtight member 70d attached to the circumferential groove 70c and the inner peripheral surface of the first dust collection container 52 are in close contact is formed. Further, on the other axial direction side (the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52) of the first sealing portion 73, a dust collection space 56 is formed between the tapered portion 70 (first inner cylinder 60) and the first dust collection container 52. Further, the first sealing portion 73 is formed above the dust collection portion inlet 52x that communicates with the dust collection space 56.

In addition to forming the dust collection space 56 as described above, the tapered portion 70 also functions as a dust collection space exhaust portion 80 for exhausting air from the dust collection space 56. Specifically, the tapered portion 70 has a large number of vent holes 70e formed in the circumferential direction so as to communicate the inside and outside. The tapered portion 70 may be formed by resin molding, or may be formed of a mesh member 82. The mesh member 82 is a mesh-like member formed of a resin material, a metal material, or a combination of these. Therefore, dust contained in the air passing through the vent holes 70e forming the dust collection space exhaust portion 80 can be captured by the mesh member 82. The surface of the tapered portion 70 is smoother when molded from resin than when made of the mesh member 82, making it possible to reduce the amount of dust that gets caught.

The extension portion 72 is a cylindrical portion formed to extend further from the tapered portion 70 toward the other side in the vertical direction (the opening/closing portion 52c side). In this embodiment, the extension portion 72 extends toward the other side in the axial direction from the end portion on the other side of the axial direction (the lower end portion in the illustrated example) as the base end. The extension portion 72 is formed so as to be spaced apart from the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 toward one side in the axial direction (the upper side in the illustrated example) inside the dust collection space 56. The extension portion 72 is formed to surround the periphery of the blocking portion 70a. As a result, the extension portion 72 has a cylindrical shape whose upper end side is blocked by the blocking portion 70a and whose lower end side is open. Since the extension portion 72 is provided to surround the periphery of the blocking portion 70a, the air flow and dust that have risen from the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 at the axial center position of the dust collection space 56 collide with the blocking portion 70a, making it difficult to spread in a direction intersecting the axial direction. As a result, in the vacuum cleaner 1, dust such as hair and dirt contained in the airflow is less likely to become entangled in the tapered portion 70. The extension portion 72 is cylindrical. It is preferable that the extension portion 72 is cylindrical with the same outer dimensions from the upper end to the lower end, or is a tapered cylindrical shape whose outer dimensions become smaller from the upper end to the lower end. This makes it possible to prevent the airflow and dust that are guided by the first guide portion 74 and smoothly guided toward the other axial side (the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52) from becoming entangled in the extension portion 72. Note that the extension portion 72 is not limited to being cylindrical, and may be configured to have multiple extension members extending in the axial direction spaced apart from one another.

The blocking portion 70a may have a convex shape on the center side toward the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 from the outside, and more preferably may be curved. This makes it easier for the airflow and dust that has risen from the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 at the axial center position of the dust collection space 56 to move toward the extension portion 72 by the blocking portion 70a.

In addition, the opening/closing portion 52c provided as the bottom of the first dust collecting container 52 is provided with a plurality of ribs 52i (protrusions) that restrict the movement of dust by the swirling air current. The ribs 52i are provided so as to extend toward the structure 54. The first dust collecting portion 50 can be one that does not have a rib 52i or one that has only one rib 52i, but in this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 52i are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In addition, the opening/closing portion 52c may be provided with a protrusion extending toward the structure 54 (blocking portion 70a) instead of or in addition to the rib 52i. When a protrusion is provided together with the rib 52i, the rib 52i is arranged around the protrusion at intervals in a direction intersecting the axis (in this embodiment, the radial direction). In addition, the protrusion is columnar, for example, a cylindrical shape, a rectangular column shape, a column shape with a cross section, or a cylindrical shape, a rectangular column shape, or a column shape with a cross section tapered toward the structure 54 side. This prevents dust that has collected below the blocking portion 70a from being moved by air currents. If the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 is a lid that can be opened and closed by rotating, dust can be easily disposed of even if it becomes entangled in the protrusions or ribs 52i.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first guide portion 74 is a rib-shaped portion provided on the outer periphery of the tapered portion 70 and abuts against the inner periphery of the first dust collection container 52. The first guide portion 74 is disposed between the first dust collection container 52 and the first inner tube 60 when the structure 54 is inserted into the first dust collection container 52 with the tapered portion 70 and the extension portion 72 facing the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52. The first guide portion 74 functions as a guide member for guiding the airflow that flows from the dust collection portion inlet 52x into the dust collection space 56 and swirls in a direction along the inner periphery of the first dust collection container 52 to the other side in the axial direction (the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52). The first guide portion 74 extends so as to approach the dust collection portion inlet 52x as it moves from one side to the other side in the axial direction (from the upper side to the lower side in the illustrated example). The end of the first guide portion 74 may reach the dust collection portion inlet 52x. In other words, the first guide portion 74 extends from one side in the axial direction to the other side (from the upper side to the lower side in the illustrated example) so as to approach the dust collection portion inlet 52x from a position upstream in the swirling direction of the airflow relative to the dust collection portion inlet 52x. Note that, although the first guide portion 74 has been described as being provided on the structure 54, it may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first dust collection container 52. In this case, it is preferable that the first guide portion 74 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the tapered portion 70 (structure 54).

The second guide portion 76, like the first guide portion 74, is a rib-like portion provided on the outer periphery of the tapered portion 70. The second guide portion 76 is a rib that functions as a guide member for guiding the airflow flowing from the dust collection portion inlet 52x into the dust collection space 56. The second guide portion 76 is formed between the first dust collection container 52 and the first inner tube 60 so as to intersect with the axial direction and extend along the swirling direction. The second guide portion 76 is connected to the terminal end of the first guide portion 74 described above.

The connector 62 functions as an airflow outlet 67 for discharging the air that has flowed into the dust collection space 56 to the outside of the first dust collection section 50. Although not essential, it is preferable that the airflow outlet 67 has a filter. The connector 62 is preferably detachably connected to the first inner tube 60. When the connector 62 is detachable from the first inner tube 60, the other axial end of the connector 62 is preferably connected inside the first inner tube 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the connector 62 can be formed, for example, of a cylindrical frame. The connector 62 is disposed inside the first inner tube 60 (the axial center side of the first dust collection section 50). The connector 62 is connected to both or one of the first inner tube 60 and the one-side tube portion 64. In this embodiment, the connector 62 is connected to the first inner tube 60. As a result, an internal space 84 is formed between the first inner tube 60 and the connector 62. The connector 62 has a filter 94 for capturing dust contained in the air flowing into the air vent 70e of the tapered portion 70. The second inner tube filter 94 is a mesh with many fine holes. In this embodiment, the second inner tube filter 94 is configured to be provided, but it is not necessary.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the one side cylinder portion 64 is provided in a direction away from the bottom side of the first dust collection container 52 (one axial side) with respect to the above-mentioned connecting body 62. The one side cylinder portion 64 is provided integrally with or detachably attached to the connecting body 62, and is provided at a position adjacent to the upper side of the connecting body 62. As shown in Figure 6, the one side cylinder portion 64 has an expanded diameter portion 64a, an intermediate portion 64b, and a filter arrangement portion 64c.

The enlarged diameter portion 64a is a portion that continues from the connector 62 side to the upper side. The enlarged diameter portion 64a is formed so as to expand in a tapered shape toward the upper side. The intermediate portion 64b is a portion that is provided at a position adjacent to the enlarged diameter portion 64a on the axially upward side. The intermediate portion 64b is formed so as to extend in the axial direction of the first dust collecting container 52. A circumferential groove 64d extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the one side tube portion 64. The one side tube portion 64 can form a second sealing portion 65 that seals the gap formed between the inner peripheral surface of the first dust collecting container 52 and the one side tube portion 64 by an airtight member (second airtight member 64e) made of an O-ring or the like attached to the circumferential groove 64d. The filter arrangement portion 64c is made to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the first dust collecting container 52. Therefore, almost no gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the filter arrangement portion 64c and the inner peripheral surface of the first dust collecting container 52.

In addition, a step 64f is formed on the inner periphery of the filter arrangement portion 64c at the boundary with the intermediate portion 64b. A ring-shaped groove in which an airtight member 64j is arranged is provided in this step 64f, and the step 64f abuts against the lower end of the second filter 64h to improve airtightness. A first filter 64g and a second filter 64h are arranged inside the filter arrangement portion 64c. The first filter 64g is a filter made of, for example, nonwoven fabric or sponge. The first filter 64g is arranged on the step 64f. The second filter 64h has at least a pleated filter and a frame body 64i surrounding the periphery of this filter. The airtight member 64j abuts against the lower end of the frame body 64i. The pleated filter constituting the second filter 64h is arranged on the first filter 64g, and the frame body 64i is inside so as to surround the periphery of the first filter 64g. In addition, the second filter 64h has an airtight member 64k disposed on the upper surface of the frame 64i, and the airtight member 64k abuts against the intake side component 42a, improving airtightness. In addition, by separating the pleated filter of the second filter 64h from the first filter 64g, air is dispersed in the space, making it possible to effectively utilize the surface of the pleated filter. This solves the problem of the filter becoming clogged early and reducing suction power.

<<Regarding the dust collection device 100>>
As shown in Fig. 8, Fig. 9, 13, etc., the dust collection device 100 is disposed on the rear side of a support 202 constituting a stand 200. The dust collection device 100 communicates with the first dust collection section 50 of the vacuum cleaner 1 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1. The dust collection device 100 includes a device body including the second dust collection section 110 and the second electric blower 120, and a receiving section 130. Preferably, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is connected to the dust collection device 100, the device body of the dust collection device 100 is located directly below at least one of the first electric blower 14 and the battery 15a. This allows the space on the rear side of the support 202 and below the vacuum cleaner 1 to be utilized. The dust collection device 100 is also configured such that the receiving portion 130 is provided with a space portion 132 and a support portion 134, and the receiving portion 130 and the second dust collection portion 110 are connected to communicate with each other via a communication portion 136. The dust collection device 100 is further provided with an opening means 150 for opening the first dust collection portion 50 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 by disposing the first dust collection portion 50 on the receiving portion 130. With this, the dust collection device 100 is capable of collecting dust from the first dust collection portion 50 to the second dust collection portion 110 via the communication portion 136 by opening the first dust collection portion 50 and applying a suction force generated by the operation of the second electric blower 120. The configuration of each portion will be described in more detail below.

The second dust collection section 110 is a section that collects dust sucked from the first dust collection section 50 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The second dust collection section 110 can be a section that collects dust directly inside, a cyclone type dust collection section like the first dust collection section 50, or a paper bag type that can collect dust inside a paper bag by attaching a paper bag. As shown in FIG. 10, the second dust collection section 110 has a second dust collection container 112 and a connection section 114. The second dust collection container 112 has a lid section that can open and close the container body, and the lid section is locked to the container body by a lock section 110a.

The second dust collection container 112 is a hollow container having a second dust collection chamber 112a inside. The second motor housing chamber 122 (blower arrangement space) in which the second electric blower 120 is housed is provided with an exhaust hole for discharging the exhaust air of the second electric blower 120 to the outside.

The connection part 114 has a receiving port 114a and a connection passage 114b. The receiving port 114a is a part that is connected to a communication pipe 136b that constitutes a communication part 136 that connects the receiving part 130 and the second dust collecting part 110. The connection passage 114b is a passage that connects the receiving port 114a and a communication hole 112c provided in the second dust collecting container 112 so that air and dust can pass through.

The second electric blower 120 can generate a suction force when it is operated. The second electric blower 120 is arranged in a second motor housing 122 that communicates with the second dust collection container 112 of the second dust collection unit 110 via an exhaust hole 112e. The second electric blower 120 can be arranged and installed in any suitable manner as long as it can apply a suction force to the second dust collection container 112. In this embodiment, taking into consideration that vibrations tend to occur in the radial direction of the motor provided in the second electric blower 120 when the second electric blower 120 operates, and that the second electric motor housing 122 is arranged on the bottom side of the dust collection device 100, the second electric blower 120 is arranged so that the rotation shaft of the motor provided in the second electric blower 120 faces in the vertical direction in order to suppress the generation of vibration noise at the contact portion with the floor on which the main body of the dust collection device 100 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 9 and other figures, the receiving part 130 receives the first dust collecting part 50 of the vacuum cleaner 1. Specifically, the receiving part 130 has a first dust collecting part recess 130a formed so that the lower end part of the first dust collecting part 50 fits into it. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the receiving part 130 has a pipe recess 130b formed so that the pipe part 38x of the main body part 10 fits into or abuts against it. The pipe recess 130b may be formed of a cover part that moves along the vertical direction. Specifically, the cover part forming the pipe recess 130b may be supported by a spring from below, and may move downward when the pipe part 38x fits into or abuts against it, and move upward by the biasing force of the spring when the fitting or abutment of the pipe part 38x is released. In addition, the pipe recess 130b may be fitted into or abut against the extension pipe 180 at a part of the periphery. Furthermore, the receiving portion 130 is provided with a release means 140 (release operation portion) and an opening means 150.

The release means 140 releases the lock of the locking parts 55 and 55A. The release means 140 can be provided in the first dust collecting part 50 or the dust collecting device 100, but in this embodiment, it is provided in the dust collecting device 100. In this embodiment, the first abutment part 142 is provided in the receiving part 130 to function as the release means 140. When the first dust collecting part 50 is fitted into the first dust collecting part recess 130a, as shown in FIG. 13, the first abutment part 142 protrudes in a protruding shape so as to abut against the abutment area 57b of the abutment part 57 constituting the locking parts 55 and 55A. Therefore, by fitting the first dust collecting part 50 into the first dust collecting part recess 130a, a pressing force acts from the first abutment part 142 on the abutment area 57b, and the abutment part 57 rotates around the rotation shaft 58. As a result, the engaging portion 57a and the locking portion 57a1 of the abutment portion 57 disengage from the engaging portion 52k and the locking portion 52k1 provided on the bottom surface of the opening/closing portion 52c, and the locking portions 55 and 55A enter an unlocked state.

The opening means 150 is for opening the first dust collecting chamber 52a of the first dust collecting section 50. The opening means 150 can be structurally (mechanically) opened by rotating the opening/closing section 52c provided in the first dust collecting section 50. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 15, when the first dust collecting section 50 is fitted into the recess 130a for the first dust collecting section, the second abutment section 152 protruding in a protruding shape is provided to function as the opening means 150 at the position where the abutment section 52f of the opening/closing section 52c arrives. When the first dust collecting section 50 is fitted into the recess 130a for the first dust collecting section, the second abutment section 152 abuts against the abutment section 52f on the first dust collecting section 50 side. When the second abutment section 152 abuts against the abutment section 52f, the opening/closing section 52c rotates around the rotation axis 52e to be in an open state. When the biasing member 52h is provided, a pressing force acts in a direction opposite to the biasing force, causing the opening/closing portion 52c to rotate around the pivot shaft 52e and enter an open state. On the other hand, when the biasing member 52h is provided, when the first dust collecting portion 50 is removed from the first dust collecting portion recess 130a to release the engagement between the two, the pressing force acting from the second abutting portion 152 to the abutted portion 52f is released. Accordingly, the opening/closing portion 52c returns to the closed state due to the biasing force of the biasing member 52h. Note that the opening/closing portion 52c may be configured to engage (lock) with the first dust collecting container 52 when the opening/closing portion 52c returns to the closed state.

The first abutment portion 142 constituting the above-mentioned release means 140 protrudes upward (toward the connection side with the first dust collecting unit 50) more than the second abutment portion 152 constituting the opening means 150. Therefore, when the first dust collecting unit 50 is fitted into the first dust collecting unit recess 130a of the receiving portion 130 to attach the vacuum cleaner 1 to the dust collection device 100, the first abutment portion 142 abuts against the abutment area 57b, and the engagement (lock) between the engagement portion 57a and the engaged portion 52k and the locked portion 52k1 is released, resulting in a released lock state (unlocked state). After that, the second abutment portion 152 abuts against the abutment portion 52f. As a result, the opening/closing portion 52c is in the open state as shown in FIG. 12. Preferably, when removing the first dust collecting part 50 from the first dust collecting part recess 130a, the second abutting part 152 moves away from the abutted part 52f, causing the opening/closing part 53c to rotate in the closing direction due to the biasing force, and then the first abutting part 142 moves away from the abutted area 57b, resulting in an engagement (locking) state (locked state) in which the engaging part 57a and the locking part 57a1 engage (lock) with the engaged part 52k and the locked part 52k1.

The space 132 provided in the receiving portion 130 forms a space capable of receiving the opening/closing portion 52c that is opened by fitting the first dust collecting portion 50 into the recess 130a for the first dust collecting portion, at a position in the opening direction of the opening/closing portion 52c (lower in this embodiment) relative to the recess 130a for the first dust collecting portion. Therefore, the opening/closing portion 52c can be opened and closed smoothly without interfering with the receiving portion 130.

Furthermore, the receiving portion 130 is provided with a support portion 134, and the opening/closing portion 52c, which is opened by fitting the first dust collecting portion 50 into the recess 130a for the first dust collecting portion, can be supported by the support portion 134. In this embodiment, when the opening/closing portion 52c is opened, the opening/closing portion 52c is inclined. Therefore, the support portion 134 is formed in an inclined state so as to follow the opening/closing portion 52c in the open state.

The receiving portion 130 is connected to the first dust collecting portion 50 through the communication portion 136 so that dust can be sucked from the first dust collecting portion 50 to the second dust collecting portion 110. The communication portion 136 has a communication port 136a connected to the first dust collecting portion recess 130a and a communication pipe 136b connected to the communication port 136a. The communication pipe 136b is composed of a hose or a pipe (a pipe in this embodiment). The communication portion 136 is connected to the first dust collecting portion 50 that is in an open state by being fitted into the first dust collecting portion recess 130a of the receiving portion 130. The communication portion 136 is formed so that the gap between the open opening/closing portion 52c and the inner wall of the communication portion 136 becomes narrower as it moves downstream in the dust suction direction from the first dust collecting portion 50 to the second dust collecting portion 110. Moreover, the portion of the communicating pipe 136b opposite to the side connected to the communicating port 136a is connected to the receiving port 114a provided in the connecting portion 114 of the second dust collecting portion 110. As a result, the receiving portion 130 is supported by the communicating pipe 136b on the upper side with respect to the second dust collecting portion 110. Therefore, by fitting the first dust collecting portion 50 into the first dust collecting portion recess 130a of the receiving portion 130, the vacuum cleaner 1 is supported by the communicating pipe 136b via the receiving portion 130. Moreover, the communicating pipe 136b is aligned with the extension pipe 180 fitted into the pipe recess 130b of the receiving portion 130. Therefore, by placing the suction tool 190 connected to the tip of the extension tube 180 on the stand 200 and fitting the first dust collection section 50 into the receiving section 130, the vacuum cleaner 1 is stably supported by the extension tube 180 and the communication tube 136b arranged side by side.

<Regarding the control of the vacuum cleaner system S>
The vacuum cleaner system S may be configured such that when the vacuum cleaner 1 is connected to the dust collection device 100, the dust collection device 100 starts operating. The vacuum cleaner 1 may be connected to the dust collection device 100, and the vacuum cleaner 1 may contact a switch provided on the stand 200 to turn it ON, causing the dust collection device 100 to start suction operation. As another embodiment, the stand 200 may have a charging mechanism, and the dust collection device 100 may start suction operation when electricity is detected between the stand 200 and the vacuum cleaner 1. In this case, a wiring for detecting electricity may be provided between the electricity terminal of the stand 200 and the control unit, in addition to the wiring for charging.

<<Variations>>
The electric vacuum cleaner system S of this embodiment is configured as described above, but may be different from the above within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the first dust collecting part 50 is fitted into the receiving part 130, so that the first contact part 142 naturally contacts the contact area 57b of the contact part 57 and the second contact part 152 naturally contacts the contact part 52f, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Specifically, by providing a first operating part for operating the first contact part 142, the first contact part 142 can be configured as a movable part and the first contact part 142 can be brought into contact with the contacted area 57b by operating the first operating part. Similarly, it is possible to provide a second operating part for operating the second contact part 152, and the second contact part 152 can be configured as a movable part and the second contact part 152 can be brought into contact with the contacted part 52f by operating the second operating part.

Here, there are two possible configurations in which the first contact portion 142 and the second contact portion 152 are movable. In the first configuration in which the first contact portion 142 is not movable and the second contact portion 152 is movable, the lock portion 55 is unlocked by the first contact portion 142 when the receiving portion 130 receives the first dust collecting portion 50, so that the opening and closing portion 52c can be opened by operating the second operating portion so that the second contact portion 152 contacts the contact portion 52f. Here, the second operating portion operates between a first position where the second contact portion 152 contacts the contact portion 52f and a second position where the second contact portion 152 is separated from the contact portion 52f. However, when the second operating portion has a biasing member 52h, it is preferable that the second operating portion has a fixing mechanism that fixes the second operating portion at the first position so that the user does not need to continue to operate the second operating portion.

Next, in form 2 in which both the first abutment portion 142 and the second abutment portion 152 are movable, when the receiving portion 130 accepts the first dust collecting portion 50, the locking portion 55 is unlocked by the first abutment portion 142 using the first operating portion, and the opening/closing portion 52c can be set to the open state by operating the second operating portion so that the second abutment portion 152 abuts against the abutted portion 52f.
Here, in form 2, the second operating part operates between a first position where the second abutment portion 152 abuts against the abutment portion 52f and a second position where the second abutment portion 152 is separated from the abutment portion 52f. However, when the second operating part has a biasing member 52h, it is preferable that the second operating part has a fixing mechanism that fixes the second operating part in the first position so that the user does not need to continue operating the second operating part.

In addition, in form 2, the first operating part operates between a first position where the first contact part 142 contacts the contacted part 57 and a second position where the first contact part 142 is separated from the contacted part 57, but when the lock part 55 is biased in the locking direction by a spring, it is preferable that the first operating part has a fixing mechanism that fixes it in the first position so that the user does not need to continue operating the first operating part.

The fixing mechanism described above in the first and second embodiments may be, for example, a mechanism in which the first and second operating parts fit from a relatively large groove (second position) to a smaller groove (first position), or may be an L-shaped groove having a horizontal groove (first position) and a vertical groove extending downward (the lower end of the vertical groove is the second position), or may have a separate movable member that supports the first and second operating parts at the first position or releases the support at the first position. This allows the user of the vacuum cleaner system S to unlock the locking parts 55, 55A or open the blocking part 52g at the desired timing to transfer dust from the first dust collecting part 50 to the second dust collecting part 110.

In addition, the dust collection device 100 is configured to connect the device body and the receiving part 130 by the communicating pipe 136b, but this is not limited to this. The device body can also be configured to have the receiving part 130, and the device body can be extended together with the connecting passage 114b to a height where the first dust collection part 50 fits into the receiving part 130 connected to the connecting passage 114b. In this case, there is no need to provide a separate communicating pipe 136b.

In addition, the first dust collection unit 50 is configured to be able to open and close the bottom of the first dust collection container 52 by opening and closing the opening/closing part 52c, but an openable opening may be provided on the side and used as a disposal port. Even in this case, the receiving part 130 may receive from the disposal port side of the side of the first dust collection container 52, and the opening/closing part 52c may be rotated to open diagonally or horizontally.

In the present embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 is described as being connected to the dust collection device 100 with the main body 10 and the suction tool 190 connected by the extension tube 180, but this is not limiting. The vacuum cleaner 1 may also be connected to the dust collection device 100 with the suction tool 190 attached to the suction port 38y of the main body 10.

The above-mentioned vacuum cleaner system S is preferably configured to fit the main body 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1 into the receiving part 130 of the dust collection device 100, and operate the second electric blower 120 with the opening/closing part 52c open, so that not only the dust in the first dust collection part 50 but also the dust adhering to the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h (if one of the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h is arranged, one of the filters) can be sucked in. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the extension part 72 of the structure 54 of the vacuum cleaner 1 extends toward the closing part 52g (opening/closing part 52c) that forms the bottom of the first dust collection part 50. As shown in the illustrated example, the extension part 72 may reach and abut the opening/closing part 52c in the closed state. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the blocking portion 70a provided in the extension portion 72 (first inner tube 60) illustrated in the above embodiment is not provided, and an opening is provided in the portion corresponding to the blocking portion 70a. As a result, the first inner tube 60 and the extension portion 72 are internally connected. With this configuration, the main body 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is fitted into the receiving portion 130 of the dust collection device 100, and the second electric blower 120 is operated with the opening/closing portion 52c open, so that the suction force of the second electric blower 120 also acts on the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h, making it possible to remove dust adhering thereto.

In addition, an on-off valve may be provided to adjust the air flowing into the dust collection space 56 from the dust collection inlet 52x by the suction of the second electric blower 120, and the on-off valve may be closed when removing dust adhering to the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h, and opened in other cases. When such an on-off valve is provided, the on-off valve is closed, and the suction force of the second electric blower 120 makes it easier for air to flow from the external exhaust opening of the main body 10 (an opening for exhausting the exhaust air of the first electric blower 14 to the outside of the main body 10) through the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h (one of the filters when one of the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h is provided), through the extension portion 72, and to the dust collection device 100, so that dust adhering to the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h (one of the filters when one of the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h is provided) can be more reliably sucked in.

The on-off valve may be provided at any position in the ventilation path from the suction port 192 (see FIG. 10) of the suction tool 190 to the dust collection inlet 52x. For example, as shown by hatching in FIG. 14, the on-off valve 172 (first on-off valve, second on-off valve) that opens and closes the opening of the tube 38x facing the dust collection inlet 52x may be the on-off valve described above. The on-off valve 172 may be configured to be electrically opened and closed, or may be configured to be manually opened and closed (for example, a configuration with a shutter part such as a shutter mechanism). If the on-off valve 172 can be electrically opened and closed, the vacuum cleaner 1 may be configured to have an operation button for opening and closing, or the vacuum cleaner 1 may be configured to close when the vacuum cleaner 1 detects the above-mentioned current between the vacuum cleaner 1 and the dust collection device 100 by attaching the vacuum cleaner 1 to the dust collection device 100, and open when the current is no longer detected.

Also, as shown in FIG. 14, an openable/closable on-off valve 170 (third on-off valve) may be provided inside the extension portion 72 of the structure 54. The on-off valve 170 opens by rotating downward due to the suction of the second electric blower 120, and rotates in a direction to close the flow path inside the extension portion 72 when the suction of the second electric blower 120 stops. As a result, even if dust falls off the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h after the suction of the second electric blower 120 stops, the dust can be received by the closed on-off valve 170. As a result, it is possible to suppress adhesion of dust to the open-close portion 52c after the suction of the second electric blower 120 stops, and therefore, when the open-close portion 52c is closed, the spillage of dust from the open-close portion 52c can be reduced.

The on-off valve 172 has been described as being for the purpose of removing not only the dust in the dust collection space 56 but also the dust adhering to the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h (if one of the first filter 64g and the second filter 64h is provided, then one of the filters) but is not limited thereto. The on-off valve 172 can be used for the purpose of removing dust from the dust collection space 56 alone, in which case the extension portion 72 may or may not reach the opening/closing portion 52c, and the blocking portion 70a may be present. Then, instead of the on-off valve 172 or in addition to the on-off valve 172, a shutter for opening and closing the external exhaust port of the main body 10 may be provided. When a shutter is provided instead of the on-off valve 172, when the shutter is in a closed state, air flows from the dust collection portion inlet 52x into the dust collection space 56, and it is easy to generate an air flow to the second dust collection portion 110, so that the dust in the first dust collection chamber 52a can be removed. If a shutter is provided in addition to the on-off valve 172, either one of them can be operated to be in the open state.

In addition, when the main body 10 is fitted into the receiving portion 130 of the dust collection device 100, it is preferable to provide an airtight member 160 such as an O-ring so as to surround the periphery of the blocking portion 52g. The airtight member 160 may be provided on either or both of the receiving portion 130 and the bottom of the first dust collection container 52.

15, the first dust collecting section 50 may be configured to position the structure 54 relative to the first dust collecting container 52. Specifically, the first dust collecting section 50 illustrated in FIG. 15 is configured to have a first convex portion 64x protruding radially outward at a predetermined circumferential position of one side cylinder portion 64 constituting the structure 54, and a second convex portion 64y protruding radially outward at a predetermined circumferential position of a frame body 64i for arranging a second filter 64h. The first dust collecting container 52 illustrated in FIG. 15 has a fitting portion 53 into which the first convex portion 64x and the second convex portion 64y can be fitted. Therefore, by fitting the first convex portion 64x and the second convex portion 64y into the fitting portion 53 and assembling the structure 54 and the frame body 64i into the first dust collection container 52, the first dust collection section 50 can be positioned with the frame body 64i forming the upper end portion of the first dust collection section 50 at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the first dust collection container 52, as shown in FIG. 16.

If the frame body 64i forming the upper end of the first dust collecting unit 50 can be positioned at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the first dust collecting container 52 as described above, the first convex portion 64x and the second convex portion 64y protruding from the fitting portion 53 to the outside of the first dust collecting container 52 can be fitted into the recess 10b of the main body 10 to make it possible to mount the first dust collecting unit 50 without shifting in the left-right direction or the circumferential direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the portion of the main body 10 to which the first dust collecting unit 50 is connected (the dust collecting container connection portion 10a) is configured with a gradient. For example, by making the thickness of the packing provided in the dust collecting container connection portion 10a different depending on the portion, the dust collecting container connection portion 10a is configured with a gradient, so that when the first dust collecting unit 50 is attached to the main body 10 by rotating the engagement position of the tube portion 38x and the first dust collecting unit 50 as a fulcrum, the upper end of the first dust collecting unit 50 can be smoothly slid to the lower end of the main body 10.

In the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the receiving part 130 is provided with the release means 140 (first abutment part 142) and the opening means 150 (second abutment part 152), and the locking part 55, 55A is released by the release means 140, while the opening means 150 rotates the opening and closing part 52c to the open state, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the electric vacuum cleaner system S may be configured so that the locking part 55, 55A can be manually operated without providing the release means 140 (first abutment part 142) on the receiving part 130, or the opening and closing part 52c can be opened without providing the opening means 150 (second abutment part 152). In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the second dust collecting part 110 is provided with the second electric blower 120, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to not provide the second electric blower 120. If the second electric blower 120 is not provided, the vacuum cleaner system S may be configured, for example, to open the opening/closing portion 52c of the first dust collecting portion 50 (first dust collecting container 52) of the vacuum cleaner 1 set (attached) to the receiving portion 130 to allow dust to fall into the second dust collecting portion 110, or to operate the first electric blower 14 in addition to opening the opening/closing portion 52c of the first dust collecting portion 50 set to the receiving portion 130 to provide an air flow into the first dust collecting portion 50 to allow dust to fall from the first dust collecting portion 50 to the second dust collecting portion 110. These modified examples will be described in more detail below.

[Modification in which the receiving portion 130 is not provided with the opening means 150 (second contact portion 152)]
18, a detailed description will be given of a modified example of the vacuum cleaner system S in which the receiving portion 130 is not provided with the opening means 150 (second contact portion 152). Note that in this modified example, components common to those described in the above embodiment and the like are given the same reference numerals, and the description of each component will be simplified or omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner system S according to this modified example includes a vacuum cleaner 1 and a dust collection device 100, similar to the example in the above embodiment. The vacuum cleaner 1 also includes a main body 10 and a first dust collection section 50.

The main body 10 has a first electric blower 14 that generates a suction force. The first dust collecting unit 50 is used to collect dust, and in addition to the dust collecting container (first dust collecting container 52), includes an opening/closing unit 52c, a biasing member 52h, and a locking unit 55A, as shown in FIG. 13(c) and other figures. The first dust collecting container 52 is a container in which dust accumulates. The opening/closing unit 52c is capable of opening and closing the waste port 52b provided at the bottom of the first dust collecting container 52 when the first dust collecting unit 50 is attached to the main body 10. The locking unit 55A locks the opening/closing unit 52c in a closed state (a state in which the waste port 52b is blocked by the opening/closing unit 52c) to prevent it from being opened. The locking unit 55A is provided on the outside of the first dust collecting container 52. The locking unit 55A is provided with a locking unit 57a1 that can be engaged and disengaged with the opening/closing unit 52c. The locking portion 55A is located closer to the suction port 38y of the main body 10 than the rotation shaft 52e of the opening/closing portion 52c. If the dust collection device 100 is equipped with the second electric blower 120, the biasing member 52h can be configured to bias the opening/closing portion 52c in a direction to close, and the opening/closing portion 52c can be opened by the suction force from the dust collection device 100. However, in this case, the biasing member 52h can be configured to bias the opening/closing portion 52c in a direction to open when the locking portion 55A is released, or the biasing member 52h can be omitted and the opening/closing portion 52c can be opened by its own weight. The first dust collection unit 50 has such a configuration and supports the locking portion 57a1 rotatably around the rotation shaft 58 along a direction perpendicular to the central axis passing through the waste port 52b.

The dust collection device 100 includes a second dust collection section 110. The second dust collection section 110 collects dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 by communicating with the first dust collection section 50. As shown in FIG. 18, in this modified example, the dust collection device 100 is provided with a first contact section 142 as a release means 140 in the receiving section 130, which allows the lock section 55A to be released, while omitting the opening means 150 provided as the second contact section 152 in the above embodiment. Therefore, the dust collection device 100 can abut the first contact section 142 against the locking section 57a1 by fitting and setting the first dust collection section 50 (first dust collection container 52) in the receiving section 130, thereby releasing the lock between the locking section 57a1 and the opening/closing section 52c, and opening the opening/closing section 52c.

Here, as described above, the dust collection device 100 may not include the second electric blower 120. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the opening/closing part 52c has a biasing member 52h that biases the opening/closing part 52c in the opening direction when the lock part 55A is released, or a configuration in which the opening/closing part 52c opens by its own weight without providing the biasing member 52h. In addition, when the second electric blower 120 is omitted, the electric vacuum cleaner system S may be configured to apply vibrations (airflow) generated by driving the first electric blower 14 to the first dust collection part 50 (first dust collection container 52) when the opening/closing part 52c is in the open state, and to promote collection of dust inside the first dust collection container 52 in the second dust collection part 110 due to the influence of the vibrations (airflow).

In the above embodiment and the modified example, the contact portion 57 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the rotating shaft 58, but the present invention is not limited to this. The contact portion 57 may be supported by the rotating shaft 58 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction (a direction intersecting with the axial direction along the vertical direction of the main body 10). When the release means 140 is provided in the vacuum cleaner 1 instead of the dust collection device 100, a switch that presses the contact area 57b or a switch that presses the locking portion 57a1 in a direction in which the locking portion 57a1 is released from the opening/closing portion 52c (locking portion 52k1) may be provided in the first dust collection portion 50. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the dust collection device 100, the user can directly release the locking portion 55A. Specifically, the user can press the contact area 57b or release the locking portion 57a1 from the opening/closing portion 52c.

[Modification in which the receiving portion 130 is not provided with the release means 140 (first contact portion 142) and the opening means 150 (second contact portion 152)]
22, a detailed description will be given of a modified example of the vacuum cleaner system S in which the receiving portion 130 is not provided with the release means 140 (first contact portion 142) and the opening means 150 (second contact portion 152). Note that in this modified example, the same components as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of each component will be simplified or omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner system S according to this modification includes a vacuum cleaner 1 and a dust collection device 100, similar to those exemplified in the above embodiment and modification. The vacuum cleaner 1 also includes a main body 10 and a first dust collection section 50.

The main body 10 is equipped with a first electric blower 14 that generates a suction force. The first dust collection section 50 collects dust and includes, in addition to a dust collection container (first dust collection container 52), an opening/closing section 52c, a locking section 55A, and a biasing member 52h as shown in FIG. 13(b).

In the first dust collecting unit 50, the dust collecting container (first dust collecting container 52) is a container having a dust collecting chamber 52a in which dust accumulates. In addition, the opening and closing part 52c is capable of opening and closing the waste port 52b provided at the bottom of the first dust collecting container 52 when the first dust collecting unit 50 is attached to the main body 10. The opening and closing part 52c can be moved in a direction away from the dust collecting chamber 52a to be opened by a release operation on the locking part 55A. The locking part 55A has a locking part 57a1 that can be engaged and disengaged with the opening and closing part 52c. Preferably, the locking part 57a1 can be engaged and disengaged with the locked part 52k1 provided on the opening and closing part 52c. When the user presses the abutment area 57b or removes the locking part 57a1 from the opening and closing part 52c, the locking part 55A is released. As shown in FIG. 20, in this modification, the locking portion 57a1 is provided so as to be exposed from the receiving portion 130 when the first dust collecting unit 50 (first dust collecting container 52) is set on the receiving portion 130. In other words, the locking portion 57a1 may be present inside the receiving portion 130 or outside the receiving portion 130 as long as it is exposed and accessible to the user from the outside of the receiving portion 130. The locked portion 52k1 is provided so as to protrude from the disposal port 52b in a direction away from the central axis (the cylinder axis extending vertically) passing through the disposal port 52b of the first dust collecting container 52 when the opening/closing portion 52c is in the closed state.

As shown in FIG. 13(b), the locking portion 55A locks the opening/closing portion 52c in the closed state. The locking portion 55A has an engaging portion 57a1. The engaging portion 57a1 is supported in the first dust collecting portion 50 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 58 that is aligned perpendicular to the central axis (the cylindrical axis extending vertically) that passes through the waste outlet 52b of the first dust collecting container 52.

Here, in this modified example, as shown in FIG. 20, when the first dust collecting unit 50 (first dust collecting container 52) is set on the receiving unit 130, the locking unit 55A is exposed from the receiving unit 130 and can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening and closing unit 52c. That is, in this modified example, as described in detail later, a notch 130x is provided in the receiving unit 130, and the locking unit 55A is exposed and operable from the outside of the receiving unit 130 through the notch 130x. In other words, as long as the locking unit 55A is exposed and operable from the outside of the receiving unit 130, the engaging unit 57a1 may be present in the receiving unit 130, or may protrude from the notch 130x to the outside of the receiving unit 130. The notch 130x is provided at a position opposite the locking unit 55A. In FIG. 20, the notch 130x has an opening shape with the upper end of the receiving unit 130 closed, but it may also have an opening shape with the upper end of the receiving unit 130 open. If the upper end of the receiving portion 130 is an open shape, interference of the receiving portion 130 with the locking portion 57a1 can be easily suppressed when the receiving portion 130 receives the first dust collecting portion 50. The locking portion 55A is disposed on the outside of the first dust collecting container 52 and along the side wall (circumferential wall). Preferably, it is present on the side of the cylindrical side wall (circumferential wall) of the first dust collecting container 52 that is closer to the suction port 38y. In other words, the locking portion 55A is present at a position closer to the suction port 38y of the main body 10 than the rotation shaft 52e of the opening/closing portion 52c. The biasing member 52h biases the opening/closing portion 52c in a direction to close it, and the opening/closing portion 52c is opened by the suction force of the dust collection device 100 when the locking portion 55A is released. However, the biasing member 52h may be configured to bias the opening/closing portion 52c in a direction to open it, or the opening/closing portion 52c may be configured to open by its own weight without providing the biasing member 52h.

The dust collection device 100 includes a second dust collection section 110 where dust is collected. The second dust collection section 110 communicates with the first dust collection section 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1. The dust collection device 100 includes a receiving section 130 that receives the first dust collection section 50.

In the dust collection device 100, when the receiving part 130 is receiving the first dust collection part 50, the lock part 55A can be accessed from outside the receiving part 130 to perform an unlocking operation. Any configuration may be used to enable access to the lock part 55A from outside the receiving part 130, but it is preferable to provide a notch 130x in the receiving part 130 at a position corresponding to the lock part 55A, as shown in Figures 20 and 21. With this configuration, it is possible to operate the lock part 55A from outside the receiving part 130 via the notch 130x provided in the receiving part 130. 21, or in addition to the configuration having the notch 130x shown in FIG. 21, the vacuum cleaner system S may be provided with a release operation part for performing a release operation on the lock part 55A in a state in which the first dust collecting part 50 is received by the receiving part 130, and the release operation part may be provided on the outside of the receiving part 130. This release operation part may release the lock of the lock part 55A by pressing the abutment area 57b, or may operate the engaging part 57a1 by pressing in a direction in which the engaging part 57a1 is released from the opening/closing part 52c (engaged part 52k1). When the release operation part is provided in the vacuum cleaner 1, it is preferable to provide it in the first dust collecting part 50, and when the release operation part is provided in the dust collection device 100, it is preferable to provide it on the outside of the receiving part 130. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the dust collection device 100, the user can directly release the locking portion 55A. Specifically, the user can press the abutment area 57b or remove the engaging portion 57a1 from the opening/closing portion 52c.

Here, even in the case of the configuration according to this modified example, as described above, the dust collection device 100 may not include the second electric blower 120. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the opening/closing part 52c has a biasing member 52h that biases the opening/closing part 52c in the opening direction when the lock part 55A is released, or a configuration in which the opening/closing part 52c opens by its own weight without providing the biasing member 52h. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the second electric blower 120 is omitted, the electric vacuum cleaner system S may be configured to apply vibrations (airflow) generated by driving the first electric blower 14 to the first dust collection part 50 (first dust collection container 52) when the opening/closing part 52c is in the open state, and to promote collection of dust inside the first dust collection container 52 in the second dust collection part 110 due to the influence of the vibrations (airflow).

In addition, in the above embodiment and the examples given in this modified example, the abutment portion 57 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the rotation shaft 58, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the abutment portion 57 can also be supported by the rotation shaft 58 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction (a direction intersecting the axial direction of the main body portion 10).

<Effects obtained by the vacuum cleaner system S and the vacuum cleaner 1>
Hereinafter, the effects and the like obtained by the vacuum cleaner system S and the vacuum cleaner 1 exemplified in each of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described for each aspect of the present invention.

[First aspect of the present invention]
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-47961, there has been provided a rechargeable vacuum cleaner in which a fan motor and a rechargeable secondary battery that supplies power to the fan motor are provided in the vacuum cleaner body, a floor suction port is connected to the suction port of the vacuum cleaner body via an extension tube, and the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body is located rearward of the center of the grip of the vacuum cleaner body.

Here, in the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1, an opening formed in the grip portion for inserting a hand is located on the opposite side of the secondary battery with respect to the rotation axis of the fan motor. In this vacuum cleaner, the suction port formed in the dust collection section of the vacuum cleaner body coincides with the rotation axis of the fan motor, but when an extension tube is connected to the suction port, the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner is located on the extension tube side rather than the grip portion. As a result, the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1 is configured in such a way that the user feels a sense of weight when using it, which creates the problem of poor operability.

Therefore, the present invention aims to create a vacuum cleaner that can improve operability.

(1-1) The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a main body 10 having a suction port 38y on the lower side in the vertical direction to which an extension tube 180 can be connected and an electric blower 14 that generates suction force inside, a dust collection unit 50 that is arranged to be aligned with the electric blower 14 in the vertical direction and that collects dust, a battery 15a, and a handle unit 20 that is provided above the main body 10 in the vertical direction, and the main body 10 has a tube unit 38x having the suction port 38y, and the tube unit 38x is arranged to be aligned with the dust collection unit 50 in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and is arranged in a position that is forward of the dust collection unit 50, and is characterized in that the handle unit 20 is located in front and the battery 15a is located in the rear in the front-to-rear direction.

In the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention, when the extension tube 180 is not connected to the suction port 38y provided in the tube portion 38x, the handle portion 20 can be grasped at a position close to the electric blower 14 and the battery 15a, which are heavy objects. In addition, in the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention, by connecting the extension tube 180 to the suction port 38y provided in the tube portion 38x, the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1 is located on the lower side in the vertical direction and on the front side in the front-rear direction, compared to the state in which the extension tube 180 is not connected. As a result, although the distance from the handle portion 20 to the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention is longer than when the extension tube 180 is not connected, the handle portion 20 can be grasped at a position closer to the upper side of the center of gravity than in the conventional vacuum cleaner in which the suction port of the dust collection part of the vacuum cleaner body and the extension tube are coaxial. As a result, the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention can suppress the sense of weight given to the user even when the extension tube 180 is connected. Therefore, according to the present invention, whether the extension tube 180 is connected to the tube portion 38x or not, the sense of weight felt by the user is reduced, and a highly maneuverable vacuum cleaner 1 can be realized.

When the extension tube 180 to which the suction tool 190 is connected is connected to the tube section 38x, the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1 is located closer to the tube section 38x than the handle section 20, but the handle section 20 can be grasped at a position above the center of gravity. As a result, the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention can reduce the sense of weight felt by the user even when the extension tube 180 is connected.

(1-2) The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention according to (1-1) above is preferably characterized in that an opening 22 for inserting a hand is formed between the handle portion 20 and the main body portion 10, and the opening 22 is opened so that its width in the up-down direction is larger than its width in the front-rear direction.

The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention is configured as described above in (1-2), so that it is easier to grip the part of the handle portion 20 that extends in the vertical direction than to grip the part of the handle portion 20 that extends in the front-rear direction at the top end in the vertical direction. This makes it easier for the user to grip the part of the handle portion 20 that extends in the vertical direction. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention can be easily adjusted between gripping the handle portion close to the center of gravity and gripping the handle portion far from the center of gravity. Therefore, according to the present invention, a highly maneuverable electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be realized.

(1-3) The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention according to any of the above (1-1) to (1-2) is preferably characterized in that an opening 22 for inserting a hand is formed between the handle portion 20 and the main body portion 10, and the upper end of the opening 22 is located at a position lower than the upper end of the battery 15a in the vertical direction.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention as described above in (1-3), the handle portion 20 is prevented from being grasped at a position farther away from the center of gravity than when the upper end of the opening 22 is formed at a position higher than the upper end of the battery 15a. This reduces the sense of weight felt by the user, making the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention easy to operate.

(1-4) The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (1-1) to (1-3) may be characterized in that, in the vertical direction, the upper end of the battery storage section 15 that stores the battery 15a is located at a position lower than the upper end of the handle section 20.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention as described above in (1-4), the battery storage section 15 is prevented from getting in the way when gripping the handle section 20, compared to when the battery storage section 15 protrudes vertically beyond the handle section 20. This allows the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention to be highly maneuverable.

(1-5) The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention according to any of the above (1-1) to (1-4) may be characterized in that the battery 15a and the handle portion 20 are disposed above the vertical direction, with a boundary line passing through the center position of the electric blower 14 and extending along the front-rear direction as the boundary.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention as described above in (1-5), the battery 15a, which is a heavy object, is located close to the handle section 20. This allows the user to grip the handle section 20 closer to the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention, compared to a case in which the battery 15a is located below the center of the electric blower 14. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention reduces the sense of weight felt by the user, making it easy to operate.

(1-6) The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention according to any of the above (1-1) to (1-5) may be characterized in that the handle portion 20 and the battery 15a are arranged to face each other with a central axis line passing through the center position of the electric blower 14 and extending in the up-down direction as the boundary.

The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention has the above-mentioned (1-6) configuration, so that the handle portion 20 can be gripped at a position close to the battery 15a, which is a heavy object.

(1-7) The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (1-1) to (1-6) may be characterized in that the tube portion 38x and the handle portion 20 are aligned in the up-down direction.

By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention as described above in (1-7), the handle portion 20 can be gripped at a position above the position where the center of gravity is located when the extension tube 180 is connected to the tube portion 38x. This allows the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention to be highly maneuverable while reducing the sense of weight felt by the user compared to a case in which the tube portion 38x and the handle portion 20 are not aligned vertically.

(1-8) In the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present invention according to any of the above (1-1) to (1-7), the dust collection section 50 is configured to separate at least a portion of dust from the air sucked in by the operation of the electric blower 14 by centrifugal separation, and the central axis of the dust collection section 50 and the central axis of the electric blower 14 are preferably aligned.

[Second aspect of the present invention]
Conventionally, as disclosed in the following Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-283327, a vacuum cleaner that generates a suction airflow and collects dust with the generated airflow is provided, which is composed of a vacuum cleaner main body having a dust case on the main body side that collects and stores dust, and an installation stand having a dust case on the installation stand side that stores dust from the dust case on the main body side, and is provided with a means for discharging dust in the dust case on the main body side of the vacuum cleaner main body into the dust case on the installation stand side when the vacuum cleaner main body is installed on the installation stand. The vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1 is provided with valves on both the vacuum cleaner main body and the installation stand, and the valves are opened by the airflow from the fan motor, so that dust can be discharged from the dust case on the vacuum cleaner main body side to the dust case on the installation stand side.

However, the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the valves provided in the dust cases on both the vacuum cleaner body and the installation stand are opened and closed by the suction force of the vacuum cleaner body, so the degree to which the valves are opened and closed is affected by the suction performance of the vacuum cleaner body.

Therefore, the present invention aims to realize a vacuum cleaner system that can easily collect dust from the vacuum cleaner.

(2-1) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner 1 including a main body 10 having a first electric blower 14 that generates suction force and a first dust collection section 50 in which dust is collected, a dust collection device 100 that communicates with the first dust collection section 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 and includes a second dust collection section 110 in which dust is collected and a second electric blower 120 that generates suction force, and an opening means 150, and the first dust collection section 50 includes a dust collection chamber 52a in which dust accumulates and a dust collection opening 152b in which dust accumulates. When the dust section 50 is attached to the main body 10, it has an opening/closing section 52c that can open and close the dust collection chamber 52a, and locking sections 55, 55A that lock the opening/closing section 52c in a closed state, and the first dust collection section 50 or the dust recovery device 100 is equipped with a release means 140 that releases the locking sections 55, 55A, and when the locking sections 55, 55A are released by the release means 140, the opening means 150 can open the opening/closing section 52c.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is provided with a dust collection device 100 and an opening means 150 in addition to the vacuum cleaner 1. The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention can open the opening/closing part 52c provided in the first dust collection part 50 by the opening means 150 while releasing the lock parts 55, 55A by the release means 140. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is provided with a dust collection device 100 that includes a second dust collection part 110 and a second electric blower 120. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention can collect dust in the second dust collection part 110 of the dust collection device 100 that is connected to the first dust collection part 50 by operating the second electric blower 120 of the dust collection device 100 with the dust collection chamber 52a of the first dust collection part 50 of the vacuum cleaner 1 open. Therefore, according to the present invention, a vacuum cleaner system S that can easily collect dust on the vacuum cleaner side can be realized.

(2-2) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to (2-1) above is preferably characterized in that the locking portion 55A has a locking portion 57a1 that locks with the locked portion 52k1 of the opening/closing portion 52c, and the dust collection device 100 has a first abutment portion 142 as the release means 140 that abuts against the locking portion 57a1 to release the lock with the locked portion 52k1.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (2-2), and can release the locking unit 55A by abutting the first abutment 142 provided as the release means 140 in the dust collection device 100 against the engaging portion 57a1 constituting the locking unit 55A. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention can release the lock of the opening/closing unit 52c by placing the vacuum cleaner 1 relative to the dust collection device 100 so that the first abutment 142 is in abutment against the engaging portion 57a1.

(2-3) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to the above-mentioned (2-1) or (2-2) is preferably characterized in that the dust collection device 100 has a second contact portion 152 functioning as the opening means 150, the first dust collection section 50 has a contacted portion 57 against which the second contact portion 152 can contact, and when the second contact portion 152 contacts the contacted portion 57, the opening/closing portion 52c rotates away from the dust collection chamber 52a to enter an open state.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (2-3), so that when the vacuum cleaner 1 is placed relative to the dust collection device 100, the second abutting portion 152 abuts against the abutted portion 57, thereby opening the opening/closing portion 52c.

(2-4) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention according to (2-1) above is preferably characterized in that the locking part 55A has a locking part 57a1 that locks with the locking part 52k1 of the opening/closing part 52c, the dust collection device 100 has a first abutment part 142 that releases the locking with the locking part 52k1 by abutting against the locking part 57a1 as the release means 140, the dust collection device 100 has a second abutment part 152 that functions as the opening means 150, the first dust collection part 50 has a contact part 57 against which the second abutment part 152 can abut, and when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100, the first abutment part 142 abuts against the locking part 57a1, and then the second abutment part 152 abuts against the contact part 57.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (2-4), so that when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100, the first contact portion 142 is brought into contact with the engaging portion 57a1 to release the lock portion 55A, and then the second contact portion 152 is brought into contact with the abutted portion 57 to open the opening/closing portion 52c. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention can perform a series of operations from releasing the lock portion 55A to opening the opening/closing portion 52c by the operation of attaching the vacuum cleaner 1 to the dust collection device 100.

(2-5) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to (2-1) above is preferably characterized in that the locking portion 55A has a locking portion 57a1 that locks with the locked portion 52k1 of the opening/closing portion 52c, the dust collection device 100 has a first abutment portion 142 as the release means 140 that releases the engagement with the locked portion 52k1 by abutting against the locking portion 57a1, and the dust collection device 100 is equipped with a second abutment portion 152 that functions as the opening means 150, and a second operating portion that operates the second abutment portion 152 so that the second abutment portion 152 abuts against the abutment portion 57.
By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (2-5), the first abutment portion 142 and the engaging portion 57a1 abut against each other to release the lock, and the opening/closing portion 52c can be opened by operating the second operating portion to activate the second abutment portion 152.

(2-6) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention according to (2-1) above is preferably characterized in that the locking unit 55A has a locking portion 57a1 that locks with the locking portion 52k1 of the opening/closing unit 52c, the dust collection device 100 has a first abutment portion 142 that abuts against the locking portion 57a1 to release the locking with the locking portion 52k1 as the release means 140, the dust collection device 100 has a second abutment portion 152 that functions as the opening means 150, the first dust collection unit 50 has a contact portion 57 against which the second abutment portion 152 can abut, a first operating unit that operates the first abutment portion 142 so that the first abutment portion 142 and the locking portion 57a1 abut, and a second operating unit that operates the second abutment portion 152 so that the second abutment portion 152 and the contact portion 57 abut.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (2-6), so that the first operating part is operated to release the lock by bringing the first contact part 142 into contact with the engaging part 57a1, and the opening/closing part 52c can be opened by operating the second operating part to activate the second contact part 152.

(2-7) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (2-1) to (2-6) is characterized in that the locking parts 55, 55A are located closer to the suction port 38y of the main body part than the rotation axis of the opening/closing part 52.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (2-7), it is possible to prevent the locking unit 55A from being released unexpectedly.

(2-8) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (2-1) to (2-7) may be characterized in that the first dust collecting section 50 has a biasing member 52h that biases the opening/closing section 52c in a closing direction.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (2-8), it is possible to prevent the opening/closing part 52c from opening unexpectedly.

[Third aspect of the present invention]
The third aspect of the present invention has been made to solve the same problem as the second aspect of the present invention described above, with JP 2004-283327 A being the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to realize a vacuum cleaner system that can easily collect dust on the vacuum cleaner side.

(3-1) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner 1 including a main body 10 having a first electric blower 14 that generates suction force and a first dust collection section 50 in which dust is collected, a dust collection device 100 that communicates with the first dust collection section 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1, and includes a second dust collection section 110 in which dust is collected and a second electric blower 120 that generates suction force, and an opening means 150. The first dust collection section 50 has a dust collection section inlet 52x a dust collection space exhaust section 80; a structure 54 that defines a dust collection space 56 between the first dust collection container 52; and an opening/closing section 52c that can open and close the waste port 52b (opening) of the dust collection container 52 when the first dust collection section 50 is attached to the main body section 10. The opening means 150 is characterized in that it opens the opening/closing section 52c when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (3-1), when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100, the opening/closing part 52c can be opened, and dust accumulated in the dust collection space 56 of the first dust collection part 50 can be collected in the second dust collection part 110 of the dust collection device 100.

(3-2) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner 1 including a main body 10 having a first electric blower 14 that generates suction force and a first dust collection section 50 in which dust is collected, and a dust collection device 100 that communicates with the first dust collection section 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 and includes a second dust collection section 110 in which dust is collected and a second electric blower 120 that generates suction force, and the first dust collection section 50 is a first dust collection container having a dust collection section inlet 52x. The vacuum cleaner 1 has a container 52 (dust collection container), a dust collection space exhaust section 80, and a structure 54 that defines a dust collection space 56 between the first dust collection container 52, and an opening/closing section 52c that can open and close the disposal port 52b (opening) of the first dust collection container 52 when the first dust collection section 50 is attached to the main body section 10. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100 and the opening/closing section 52c is in the open state, the second electric blower 120 applies suction force to the first dust collection section 50.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (3-2), so that when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the dust collection device 100, dust accumulated in the dust collection space 56 of the first dust collection section 50 can be collected in the second dust collection section 110 of the dust collection device 100. The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is not limited to the dust collection device 100 having the second electric blower 120, and it is also possible for the dust collection device 100 not to have the second electric blower 120. The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention can also be one in which the receiving section 130 does not have either the release means 140 or the opening means 150 described above (see Figures 18, 19, and 20), or one in which both are not provided (see Figure 22).

(3-3) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to the above-mentioned (3-1) or (3-2) preferably has a filter disposed between the structure 54 and the first electric blower 14, and the structure 54 preferably has a cylindrical extension 72 that communicates with the filter arrangement space in which the filter is disposed and extends toward the waste outlet 52b, and a third opening/closing valve 170 disposed in the extension 72.

The electric vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (3-3), and by operating the second electric blower 120 provided in the dust collection device 100 with the opening/closing section 52c in the open state, the dust collection space 56 formed inside the first dust collection section 50, the structure 54, the filter, and other components can be cleaned. In addition, in the electric vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention, even if dust remaining on the filter falls off, the third opening/closing valve 170 receives the dust and prevents it from unexpectedly leaking out to the outside by closing the third opening/closing valve 170 provided inside the structure 54 when the second electric blower 120 is stopped.

(3-4) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (3-1) to (3-3) may be characterized in that the vacuum cleaner 1 is provided with a first opening/closing valve 172 for adjusting the amount of air flowing into the dust collection space 56.

When the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (3-4), when the second electric blower 120 provided in the dust collection device 100 is operated in a state in which the amount of air flowing into the dust collection space 56 is restricted by the first on-off valve 172, the suction force generated thereby makes it easier for air to flow toward the dust collection device 100. This makes it even easier for the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to collect dust adhering to the structure 54, etc., in the dust collection device 100.

(3-5) In the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (3-1) to (3-4), the vacuum cleaner 1 is preferably characterized in that a second opening/closing valve 172 is provided that can open and close an opening in the main body 10 that faces the dust collection section inlet 52x.

When the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (3-5), when the second electric blower 120 provided in the dust collection device 100 is operated in a state in which the amount of air flowing into the dust collection space 56 is restricted by the second on-off valve 172, the suction force generated thereby makes it easier for air to flow toward the dust collection device 100. This makes it even easier for the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to collect dust adhering to the structure 54, etc., in the dust collection device 100.

(3-6) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention relating to any of the above-mentioned (3-1) to (3-5) is preferably characterized in that the main body 10 has a suction port 38y that communicates with the first dust collecting section 50, an external exhaust port that exhausts the air sucked by the first electric blower 14 to the outside, and a shutter section that opens and closes the external exhaust port.

When the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (3-6), the air sucked by the second electric blower 120 is more likely to flow toward the dust collection device 100, making it easier for the dust collection device 100 to collect dust adhering to the inside of the first dust collection section 50 and the structure 54.

[Fourth aspect of the present invention]
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-283327, a vacuum cleaner that generates a suction airflow and collects dust with the generated airflow is provided, which is composed of a vacuum cleaner main body having a dust case on the main body side that collects and stores dust, and an installation stand having a dust case on the installation stand side that stores dust from the dust case on the main body side, and is provided with a means for discharging dust in the dust case on the main body side of the vacuum cleaner main body into the dust case on the installation stand side when the vacuum cleaner main body is installed on the installation stand. The vacuum cleaner in the above-mentioned patent document is provided with valves on both the vacuum cleaner main body and the installation stand, and the valves are opened by the airflow from the fan motor, so that dust can be discharged from the dust case on the vacuum cleaner main body side to the dust case on the installation stand side.

However, in the vacuum cleaner of the above-mentioned patent document, the valves provided in the dust cases on both the vacuum cleaner body and the installation stand are opened and closed by the suction force of the vacuum cleaner body, which causes a problem in that the degree of opening and closing of the valves is affected by the suction performance of the vacuum cleaner body.

Therefore, the present invention aims to realize a vacuum cleaner system that can easily collect dust from the vacuum cleaner.

(4-1) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner 1 having a main body 10 having a first electric blower 14 that generates suction force and a first dust collecting section 50 in which dust is collected, and a dust collection device 100 which is connected to the first dust collecting section 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 and has a second dust collecting section 110 in which dust is collected, the first dust collecting section 50 being connected to the main body 10 and having a dust collecting container (first dust collecting container 52) in which dust accumulates, When attached, it has an opening/closing part 52c that can open and close the disposal port 52b at the bottom of the dust container, and a locking part 55A that locks the opening/closing part 52c in a closed state, and the vacuum cleaner 1 or dust collection device 100 has a release means for releasing the locking part 55A, and the locking part 55A has a locking part 57a1 that can be engaged and disengaged with the opening/closing part 52c, and the opening/closing part 52c is opened when the locking by the locking part 57a1 is released by the release means.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (4-1). When the locking section 55A is released by the release means and the opening/closing section 52c is in the open state, the first dust collection section 50 and the second dust collection section 110 are in communication with each other, so that dust accumulated in the dust collection space 56 of the first dust collection section 50 can be collected in the second dust collection section 110 of the dust collection device 100.

(4-2) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (4-1) described above, it is preferable that the first dust collection section 50 supports the engaging section 57a1 so that the engaging section 57a1 can rotate about a rotation axis 58 that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the central axis passing through the waste outlet 52b.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (4-2), so that by rotating the locking portion 57a1 around the pivot shaft 58, it is possible to perform an operation to lock and unlock the locking portion 57a1 with respect to the opening/closing portion 52c.

(4-3) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (4-1) or (4-2) described above, it is preferable that when the opening/closing section 52c is open and the first electric blower 14 is driven, dust inside the dust collection container (first dust collection container 52) is collected in the second dust collection section 110.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (4-3), dust inside the dust container (first dust container 52) moves due to the influence of vibrations (airflow) generated by the drive of the first electric blower 14. This allows the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to smoothly collect dust accumulated inside the dust container in the second dust collection section 110 and clean the first dust container 52.

(4-4) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (4-1) to (4-3) described above, the dust collection device 100 preferably has a release means 140 including a first abutment portion 142 that abuts against the locking portion 57a1 to release the locking with the opening/closing portion 52c.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (4-4), so that the locking of the locking part 57a1 with the opening/closing part 52c can be released by performing an operation to bring the first abutment part 142 provided as the release means 140 into contact with the locking part 57a1.

(4-5) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (4-1) to (4-4) described above, it is preferable that the locking part 55A is located closer to the suction port 38y of the main body part 10 than the pivot shaft 52e of the opening/closing part 52c.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (4-5), it becomes easier to prevent the user from unintentionally touching the locking portion 55A.

(4-6) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (4-1) to (4-5) described above, it is preferable that the first dust collecting section 50 has a biasing member 52h that biases the opening/closing section 52c in the direction of opening it.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (4-6), the opening/closing section 52c opens smoothly, making it easier to discharge dust from the first dust collection section 50.

[Fifth aspect of the present invention]
Conventionally, as disclosed in JP 2004-283327 A, a vacuum cleaner that generates a suction air current and collects dust with the generated air current is provided, which is composed of a vacuum cleaner main body having a dust case on the main body side that collects and stores dust, and an installation stand having a dust case on the installation stand side that stores dust from the dust case on the main body side, and is provided with a means for discharging dust in the dust case on the main body side of the vacuum cleaner main body into the dust case on the installation stand side when the vacuum cleaner main body is installed on the installation stand. The vacuum cleaner in the above patent document is provided with valves on both the vacuum cleaner main body and the installation stand, and dust can be discharged by opening the valves by operating a button on the vacuum cleaner main body.

However, the vacuum cleaner in the above patent document has a problem in that the mechanism for opening and closing the valve is complicated.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vacuum cleaner system that prevents the structure for discharging dust from the dust collection section from becoming complicated.

(5-1) The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner 1 having a main body 10 having a first electric blower 14 that generates suction force and a first dust collecting unit 50 in which dust is collected, and a dust collection device 100 that is connected to the first dust collecting unit 50 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 and has a second dust collecting unit 110 in which dust is collected, the first dust collecting unit 50 being a dust collecting container (first dust collecting container 52) having a dust collecting chamber 52a in which dust accumulates, and a dust collecting chamber 52b in which dust is collected when the first dust collecting unit 50 is attached to the main body 10. It has an opening/closing part 52c that can open and close the disposal port 52b at the bottom of the dust container, and a locking part 55A that locks the opening/closing part 52c in a closed state, and the opening/closing part 52c can be moved away from the dust collection chamber 52a to an open state by releasing the locking part 55A, and the dust collection device 100 has a receiving part 130 that receives the first dust collection part 50, and is characterized in that the locking part 55A can be released from the outside of the receiving part 130 that is receiving the first dust collection part 50.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above, the unlocking operation of the locking part 55A can be performed from outside the receiving part 130. This makes it possible for the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to prevent the structure for discharging dust from the first dust collecting part 50 from becoming complicated.

(5-2) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (5-1) above, it is preferable that the locking portion 55A is exposed from the receiving portion 130 and has a latching portion 57a1 that can be latched and detached from the opening/closing portion 52c, and the first dust collecting portion 50 supports the latching portion 57a1 rotatably around a pivot shaft 58 that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the central axis that passes through the waste outlet 52b.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (5-2), and by rotating the locking portion 57a1 around the pivot shaft 58 and performing an operation to release the locking portion 57a1 from the opening/closing portion 52c, the opening/closing portion 52c can be switched from a closed state to an open state, and the disposal port 52b can be switched to an open state.

(5-3) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (5-1) or (5-2) described above, it is preferable that the opening/closing part 52c has an engaging part 52k1 to which the engaging part 57a1 can be engaged and disengaged, and that when the opening/closing part 52c is in the closed state, the engaging part 52k1 protrudes in a direction away from the central axis line beyond the waste opening 52b.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-3), the engaging portion 57a1 and the engaged portion 52k1 can be disengaged at a position farther away from the central axis passing through the waste outlet 52b than the waste outlet 52b. This makes it easier for the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to engage and disengage the engaging portion 57a1 with the opening/closing portion 52c.

(5-4) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (5-1) above, it is preferable that the locking unit 55A has an engaging portion 57a1 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing unit 52c, and the first dust collecting unit 50 supports the engaging portion 57a1 so that it can rotate around a rotation shaft 58 that is aligned along a central axis that passes through the waste outlet 52b.

The vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention is configured as described above in (5-4), so that by rotating the locking portion 57a1 around the pivot shaft 58, it is possible to perform an operation to lock and unlock the locking portion 57a1 with respect to the opening/closing portion 52c.

(5-5) It is preferable that the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-4) described above is configured such that, when the opening/closing section 52c is open and the first electric blower 14 is driven, dust in the dust collection container (first dust collection container 52) is collected in the second dust collection section 110.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-5), dust inside the dust container (first dust container 52) moves due to the influence of the airflow generated by driving the first electric blower 14. This allows the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention to smoothly collect dust accumulated inside the first dust container 52 in the second dust collection section 110, and clean the first dust container 52.

(5-6) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-5) described above, the first dust collection unit 50 has a locking portion 55A disposed along the cylindrical side wall (circumferential wall) of the dust collection container (first dust collection container 52), and it is preferable that the locking portion 55A is located on the side of the side wall closer to the suction port 38y of the main body 10 in the circumferential direction.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-6), it becomes easier to prevent the user from unintentionally touching the locking portion 55A.

(5-7) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-6) described above, it is preferable that the locking part 55A is located closer to the suction port 38y of the main body 10 than the pivot shaft 52e of the opening/closing part 52c.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-7), it becomes easier to prevent the user from unintentionally touching the locking portion 55A.

(5-8) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-7) described above, the first dust collecting section 50 may have a biasing member 52h that biases the opening/closing section 52c in the direction of opening it.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-8), it is possible to make it easier to open the opening/closing part 52c when discharging dust from the disposal opening 52b. As a result, by configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-8), it is possible to improve the convenience of discharging dust from the disposal opening 52b.

(5-9) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-8) described above, the dust collection device 100 or the vacuum cleaner 1 preferably includes a release operation unit for performing a release operation on the lock unit 55A, and the release operation unit is preferably located outside the receiving unit 130 when the first dust collection unit 50 is being received.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-8), it becomes possible to use the release operation unit to perform a release operation on the locking unit 55A from outside the receiving unit 130 that is receiving the first dust collecting unit 50.

(5-10) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (5-1) above, the locking portion may be provided on a side wall of the dust container, exposed from the receiving portion when the first dust collecting portion is receiving the first dust collecting portion, and may have a latching portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing portion.

By configuring the vacuum cleaner system S of the present invention as described above in (5-10), the opening/closing section 52c can be switched from a closed state to an open state, and the waste outlet 52b can be switched to an open state.

(5-11) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to any one of (5-1) to (5-10) described above, it is preferable that the main body 10 has a suction port 38y on the lower side in the vertical direction for connecting an extension tube 180 or a suction tool 190, and the first dust collecting unit 50 is arranged in line with the lower side of the first electric blower 14 in the vertical direction.

(5-12) In the vacuum cleaner system S according to (5-11) above, it is preferable that the pipe section 38x having the suction port 38y is located on one side in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the first dust collection section 50 is arranged so as to be aligned with the pipe section in the front-rear direction. Note that the dust collection device 100 is located on the other side of the pipe section 38x in the front-rear direction, since the receiving section 130 is located directly below the first dust collection section 50.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and variations, and other embodiments may be possible within the scope of the claims, based on the teachings and spirit of the invention. The components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any component of the embodiment may also be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc.

The present invention can be suitably used in vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaner systems in general.

1: Vacuum cleaner 10: Main body 14: First electric blower (electric blower)
15a: Battery 20: Handle portion 22: Opening 38x: Pipe portion 38y: Suction port 50: First dust collecting portion (dust collecting portion)
52: First dust collection container (dust collection container)
52a: Dust collection chamber 52b: Opening 52c: Opening/closing portion 52h: Pressing member 52k: Engaged portion 52x: Dust collection portion inlet 54: Structure 555: Locking portion 56: Dust collection space 57: Contact portion 57a: Engaging portion 64h: Filter 72: Extension portion 80: Dust collection space exhaust portion 100: Dust recovery device 110: Second dust collection portion 120: Second electric blower 140: Release means 142: First contact portion 150: Opening means 152: Second contact portion 170: Opening/closing valve (third opening/closing valve)
172: On-off valve (first and second on-off valve)
180: Extension tube S: Vacuum cleaner system

The vacuum cleaner system of the present invention, provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a vacuum cleaner including a main body having a first electric blower that generates suction force, and a first dust collecting section in which dust is collected, and a dust collection device including a second dust collecting section that communicates with the first dust collecting section to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner, wherein the first dust collecting section has a dust collection container having a dust collection chamber in which dust accumulates, an opening and closing section that is capable of opening and closing a disposal opening at the bottom of the dust collection container when the first dust collecting section is attached to the main body, and a locking section that locks the opening and closing section in a closed state, wherein the opening and closing section can be moved in a direction away from the dust collection chamber to be in an open state by releasing the locking section, and the dust collection device has a receiving section that receives the first dust collecting section, and the locking section can be released from the outside of the receiving section that is receiving the first dust collecting section.

Claims (12)

a vacuum cleaner including a main body having a first electric blower that generates suction force and a first dust collecting section in which dust is collected; and a dust collection device including a second dust collecting section in which dust is collected and which communicates with the first dust collecting section to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner,
The first dust collecting section is
a dust collection container having a dust collection chamber in which dust accumulates;
an opening/closing part that opens and closes a waste opening at a bottom of the dust collecting container when the first dust collecting part is attached to the main body;
a locking unit that locks the opening/closing unit in a closed state;
and
the opening/closing unit can be moved in a direction away from the dust collection chamber to an open state by releasing the locking unit,
The dust recovery device includes a receiving portion that receives the first dust collecting portion,
A vacuum cleaner system, characterized in that an unlocking operation can be performed on the lock portion from outside the receiving portion while the receiving portion is receiving the first dust collecting portion. the locking portion has a latching portion that is exposed from the receiving portion and is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing portion,
The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first dust collecting part supports the engaging part so that it can rotate around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to a central axis passing through the waste outlet. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening/closing unit has a locking unit with which the locking unit can be engaged and disengaged, and when the opening/closing unit is in a closed state, the locking unit protrudes in a direction away from the waste outlet in a direction away from a central axis passing through the waste outlet. The locking portion has the engaging portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing portion,
The electric vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1 , wherein the first dust collecting section supports the engaging section so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the central axis line passing through the waste opening. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that, when the opening/closing section is open and the first electric blower is driven, dust in the dust collection container is collected in the second dust collection section. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that the first dust collection section has the locking portion disposed along the cylindrical side wall of the dust collection container, and the locking portion is present on the side of the side wall closer to the suction port of the main body in the circumferential direction. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that the locking part is located closer to the suction port of the main body than the pivot shaft of the opening/closing part. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that the first dust collecting section has a biasing member that biases the opening/closing section in the direction of opening the opening/closing section. The dust collection device or the vacuum cleaner includes a release operation unit for performing a release operation on the lock unit,
5. The electric vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, wherein the release operation portion is present outside the receiving portion in a state in which the first dust collecting portion is received. The lock portion is
A dust collecting container is provided on a side wall of the dust collecting container.
The electric vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1 , further comprising a locking portion that is exposed from the receiving portion when the first dust collecting portion is receiving the first dust collecting portion and that is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the opening and closing portion. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that the main body has a suction port for connecting an extension tube or a suction tool on the lower side in the vertical direction, and the first dust collecting unit is arranged in line with the lower side of the first electric blower along the vertical direction. The vacuum cleaner system according to claim 10, characterized in that the pipe section having the suction port is located on one side in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the first dust collection section is arranged so as to be aligned with the pipe section in the front-rear direction.

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