JP2024058335A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The object of the present application is to provide a vacuum cleaner in which a suction nozzle and a suction tube are connected in a simple structure. [Solution] The present application comprises a vacuum cleaner body with a built-in suction source that generates a suction force for sucking in dust, a suction tube having a flow path forming part extending from the vacuum cleaner body to form a flow path through which dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source flows, and an engagement body provided at the tip of the flow path forming part, a nozzle case forming a suction space into which dust on the floor surface flows by the suction force of the suction source, and a suction nozzle having a tilting central body that can engage with the engagement body to allow the flow path forming part to tilt while maintaining a state in which the suction space is connected to the flow path forming part. The engagement body is in airtight contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that sucks up dust on a floor surface.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum cleaner 900 as shown in FIG. 26. This vacuum cleaner 900 has a vacuum cleaner body 910 with a built-in suction source that generates suction force. To enable the suction force of the suction source to suck up dust on the floor surface, the vacuum cleaner is provided with a suction nozzle 930 that is elongated in the left-right direction, and a suction tube 920 whose tip is connected to the suction nozzle 930 and whose base end is connected to the vacuum cleaner body 910.

The suction nozzle 930 has a nozzle case 940 that is elongated in the left-right direction and that forms a suction space 931 that opens toward the floor surface, as shown in Figures 27 and 28. When the suction source of the vacuum cleaner body 910 is activated with the suction nozzle 930 connected to the suction tube 920, dust on the floor surface flows into the suction space 931 due to the suction force of the suction source.

At the rear of the nozzle case 940, a roughly semi-cylindrical engaging body 941 is provided to allow the tip of the suction tube 920 to be connected to the nozzle case 940. The engaging body 941 is configured to allow the suction tube 920 to tilt from the upright position shown in FIG. 27 to the recumbent position shown in FIG. 28. In detail, the engaging body 941 has a lower curved wall portion 942 located below the upright suction tube 920, and an upper curved wall portion 943 provided at a position spaced above the lower curved wall portion 942. The lower curved wall portion 942 and the upper curved wall portion 943 are thin plate portions having an arc-shaped cross section.

The suction tube 920 has a tilting center body 950 that serves as the center of tilt when the suction tube 920 tilts between the upright position and the recumbent position, and a cylindrical flow path forming part 953 that forms a flow path through which dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source flows. The flow path forming part 953 is extended from the vacuum cleaner body 910 and connected to the tilting center body 950.

The tilting center body 950 has a generally cylindrical shape that combines with the engaging body 941 to form a communication space 954 with a generally circular cross section, and is composed of a first curved wall portion 951 and a second curved wall portion 952 with an arc-shaped cross section. Through the communication space 954, the suction space 931 is connected to the flow path in the flow path forming portion 953.

28, when the suction tube 920 is in a lying position, the outer peripheral surface of the first curved wall portion 951 is in airtight contact with the inner peripheral surface of the lower curved wall portion 942. Meanwhile, at this time, the second curved wall portion 952 and the upper curved wall portion 943 are separated from each other for the following reason. That is, if the arc length of the cross section of the second curved wall portion 952 is extended forward, the outer peripheral surface of the second curved wall portion 952 may come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the upper curved wall portion 943. However, if the suction tube 920 is in an upright position in this state, the second curved wall portion 952 may enter between the communication space 954 and the suction space 931, and may prevent dust from flowing from the suction space 931 to the flow path forming portion 953. Alternatively, the arc length of the cross section of the upper curved wall portion 943 can be extended rearward to obtain an airtight contact state between the second curved wall portion 952 and the upper curved wall portion 943 when the suction tube 920 is in a recumbent position. However, in this case, the rear end of the upper curved wall portion 943 comes into contact with the flow path forming portion 953 before the suction tube 920 assumes an upright position, and the suction tube 920 cannot assume an upright position.

For the same reason, when the suction tube 920 is in the upright position shown in FIG. 27, the second curved wall portion 952 and the upper curved wall portion 943 are in airtight contact, while the first curved wall portion 951 and the lower curved wall portion 942 are spaced apart from each other.

A shutter member 944 is provided in the communication space 954 to close the gap between the second curved wall portion 952 and the upper curved wall portion 943 when the suction tube 920 is in a recumbent position, and the gap between the first curved wall portion 951 and the lower curved wall portion 942 when the suction tube 920 is in an upright position.

The shutter member 944 has a semi-cylindrical wall 945 and seal ribs 946, 947 provided on a pair of end edges of the semi-cylindrical wall 945. The semi-cylindrical wall 945 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the engagement body 941, and a gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the semi-cylindrical wall 945 and the inner peripheral surface of the engagement body 941, into which the first curved wall portion 951 and the second curved wall portion 952 enter. The seal ribs 946, 947 abut against the inner peripheral surface of the engagement body 941 to obtain an airtight contact state between the shutter member 944 and the engagement body 941. The seal ribs 946, 947 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the engagement body 941 whether the suction tube 920 is in an upright position or a recumbent position.

When the user changes the suction tube 920 from an upright position to a lying position, the first curved wall portion 951 enters the gap between the semi-cylindrical wall 945 and the lower curved wall portion 942 and presses the seal rib 946 of the shutter member 944. As a result, the shutter member 944 rotates clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 27 to the position shown in FIG. 28. At this time, the second curved wall portion 952 moves away from the upper curved wall portion 943, but the gap formed between them is blocked by the shutter member 944. In addition, the seal ribs 946 and 947 maintain a state of contact with the inner circumferential surface of the engagement body 941 while the shutter member 944 moves from the position shown in FIG. 27 to the position shown in FIG. 28. In the state shown in FIG. 28, the semi-cylindrical wall 945 and the first curved wall portion 951 are overlapped in the radial direction, and the shutter member 944 does not enter between the communication space 954 and the suction space 931. Therefore, the shutter member 944 does not prevent dust from flowing from the suction space 931 toward the flow path forming portion 953.

Also, when the user returns the suction tube 920 from a recumbent position to an upright position, the second curved wall portion 952 enters the gap between the semi-cylindrical wall 945 and the upper curved wall portion 943 and presses the seal rib 947. In this case, the shutter member 944 rotates counterclockwise and reaches the position shown in FIG. 27. At this time, the first curved wall portion 951 moves away from the lower curved wall portion 942, but the gap formed between them is blocked by the shutter member 944. Also, the seal ribs 946 and 947 maintain a state of contact with the inner circumferential surface of the engagement body 941 until the suction tube 920 returns to an upright position. In the state shown in FIG. 27, the semi-cylindrical wall 945 and the second curved wall portion 952 are overlapped in the radial direction, and the shutter member 944 does not enter between the communication space 954 and the suction space 931. Therefore, even when the suction tube 920 is in an upright position, the shutter member 944 does not prevent dust from flowing from the suction space 931 toward the flow path forming portion 953.

JP 2001-149283 A

In the vacuum cleaner 900 described above, a shutter member 944 is required to connect the suction tube 920 and the suction nozzle 930, but the connection structure between the suction tube 920 and the suction nozzle 930 becomes more complicated due to the shutter member 944.

The present disclosure aims to provide a technology that enables a suction nozzle and a suction tube to be connected with a simple structure.

A vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a vacuum cleaner body with a built-in suction source that generates a suction force for sucking in dust, a suction pipe having a flow path forming section extending from the vacuum cleaner body to form a flow path through which dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source flows, and an engagement body provided at the tip of the flow path forming section, a nozzle case forming a suction space into which dust on the floor surface flows by the suction force of the suction source, and a suction nozzle having a tilting central body that can engage with the engagement body to allow the flow path forming section to tilt while maintaining a state in which the suction space is connected to the flow path of the flow path forming section. The engagement body is in airtight contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body.

The above-mentioned technology makes it possible to connect the suction nozzle and the suction tube with a simple structure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment; Exploded perspective view of the suction nozzle Cross-section of the suction nozzle Cross-section of the suction nozzle FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a suction nozzle (second embodiment); Top view of the vacuum cleaner body of a vacuum cleaner Top view of the vacuum cleaner body of a vacuum cleaner FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a handle with a curved shape; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a handle with a curved shape; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a handle connected to a vacuum cleaner body in an inclined position; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a bent body; Cross-section of the suction nozzle FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a bent shape FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to a third embodiment; An enlarged perspective view of the connection between the suction nozzle and the suction pipe Cross-sectional view of the connection between the suction nozzle and the suction pipe A perspective view of a connection holder for connecting a suction nozzle and a suction tube. Perspective view of a vacuum cleaner Perspective view of a vacuum cleaner FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a suction tube of a vacuum cleaner according to a fourth embodiment. Front view of the suction tube Front view of the suction tube A cross-sectional view of a suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner having a bending restriction portion Side view of bending restriction part Side view of bending restriction part A perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner Cross-section of a conventional vacuum cleaner suction nozzle Cross-section of a conventional vacuum cleaner suction nozzle

The first to fourth embodiments of the vacuum cleaner will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the attached drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

First Embodiment
(Overall configuration of the vacuum cleaner)
1 is a schematic perspective view of a suction type vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 includes a vacuum cleaner body 110 and a box-shaped suction nozzle 120 that is open downward to allow dust on a floor surface to flow in and is elongated in the left-right direction.

The vacuum cleaner body 110 has a housing 111, and a suction source 112 and a dust storage section 113 built into the housing 111. The suction source 112 is configured to generate a suction force that sucks in dust. For example, the suction source 112 may be configured with a fan motor 114 and a rotating blade 115 configured to generate an upward airflow when rotated by the fan motor 114. The dust storage section 113 is disposed upstream of the suction source 112 in the flow direction of this upward airflow. The dust storage section 113 is configured to capture and store dust that flows with the airflow. For this reason, most of the dust sucked up by the suction source 112 is retained in the dust storage section 113 and does not reach the suction source 112.

A rod-shaped grip portion 130 extends from the top end of the housing 111. The grip portion 130 has a thickness that allows the user to grip it. The grip portion 130 is provided with an operation portion 131 that is operated by the user, and electrical wiring is provided within the grip portion 130 and the housing 111 so that when the user operates the operation portion 131, the suction source 112 is activated or deactivated in response to this operation.

The housing 111 extends downward close to the suction nozzle 120, and a suction tube 140 is built into the lower part of the housing 111. This suction tube 140 extends from the vacuum cleaner body 110 toward the suction nozzle 120. Dust that passes through the suction tube 140 is captured by the dust storage section 113. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the suction tube 140 has a straight flow path forming section 143 that forms a flow path through which dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source 112 flows, and an approximately semi-cylindrical engagement body 161 provided at the tip of the flow path forming section 143.

The vacuum cleaner body 110 is connected to the base end of the flow path forming part 143, and the flow path forming part 143 and the vacuum cleaner body 110 are aligned in the axial direction of the flow path forming part 143 as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, a support plate 166 for supporting the housing 111 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the flow path forming part 143. The support plate 166 is connected to the tip (lower end) of the housing 111.

The engaging body 161 is a roughly semi-cylindrical part used to connect the suction tube 140 and the suction nozzle 120, and the suction nozzle 120 is provided with a roughly cylindrical tilting center body 153 that engages with the engaging body 161. The inner diameter of the engaging body 161 is roughly equal to the outer diameter of the tilting center body 153. The central axis of the tilting center body 153 is the tilting axis shown in FIG. 1, and the engaging body 161 is capable of moving around the tilting axis between the position shown in FIG. 3 and the position shown in FIG. 4. The axial direction of this tilting axis is in the left-right direction and perpendicular to the axis of the flow path forming part 143.

The orbital movement of the engaging body 161 around the tilting axis causes the flow path forming part 143 to tilt in the front-rear direction together with the vacuum cleaner body 110. In detail, when the engaging body 161 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, the flow path forming part 143 is in a lying position along the floor surface. When the engaging body 161 orbits around the tilting axis at an angle of approximately 90° in the direction shown by arrow A from the state shown in FIG. 3 and reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, the flow path forming part 143 is in an upright position on the suction nozzle 120.

The engagement body 161 has a first shell portion 163 and a second shell portion 164. When the engagement body 161 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, the first shell portion 163 is above the tilt axis, and the second shell portion 164 is below the tilt axis.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the suction nozzle 120 has a nozzle case 121 that is a rectangular box-like shape that is elongated in the left-right direction, and a nozzle cover 122 that is attached to the nozzle case 121 from above.

As shown in FIG. 3, a suction space 123 that opens downward is formed inside the nozzle case 121, and when the suction source 112 is activated, the suction force of the suction source 112 causes dust on the floor surface to flow into the suction space 123. The suction space 123 is elongated in the left-right direction, and within the suction space 123, scraping brushes 124 are arranged that are rotatably held at the left and right ends of the nozzle case 121.

The nozzle case 121 has an upper partition wall 125 that partitions the upper side of the suction space 123, and a rear partition wall 126 that partitions the rear side of the suction space 123. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear partition wall 126 abuts against the tip of the second shell portion 164 of the engagement body 161 when the flow path forming portion 143 is in a recumbent position. As a result, the flow path forming portion 143 is restricted from tilting further downward. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper partition wall 125 abuts against the tip of the first shell portion 163 of the engagement body 161 when the flow path forming portion 143 is in an upright position. As a result, the flow path forming portion 143 is restricted from tilting further forward.

A brush motor (not shown) for rotating the scraping brush 124 and a control board (not shown) for controlling this brush motor can be mounted on the upper surface of the nozzle case 121. The scraping brush 124 is configured to scrape off dust on the floor surface when rotated by the brush motor. To protect the brush motor and the control board, a nozzle cover 122 is attached to the nozzle case 121 so as to cover the brush motor and the control board.

2, a pair of regulating plates 151, 152 are provided at the center of the nozzle case 121 in the left-right direction, with a gap between them. The tilting center body 153 is disposed between the regulating plates 151, 152, and both ends of the tilting center body 153 are integrated with the regulating plates 151, 152. A communication space 158 is formed inside the tilting center body 153, and this communication space 158 is provided to communicate the suction space 123 with the flow path of the suction tube 140. Regardless of whether the flow path forming part 143 is in the recumbent position shown in FIG. 3 or the upright position shown in FIG. 4, the communication space 158 maintains the communication between the suction space 123 and the flow path of the flow path forming part 143. In the tilting center body 153, the upper portion 167 that defines the upper side of the communication space 158 is formed integrally with the upper partition wall 125 described above, and the lower portion 168 that defines the lower side of the communication space 158 is formed integrally with the rear partition wall 126 described above.

The restricting plates 151, 152 are generally disk-shaped parts arranged coaxially with the tilting center body 153, and are configured to hold the engaging body 161 attached to the tilting center body 153 while restricting the left-right displacement of the engaging body 161. Note that a notch 154 is formed in the center position of the nozzle cover 122 in the left-right direction to avoid interference with the restricting plates 151, 152 and the tilting center body 153.

The right-side restricting plate 151 has a disk portion 155 and an annular rib 156 that protrudes leftward from the outer edge of the disk portion 155. The left-side restricting plates 151 and 152 have a structure that is symmetrical to the restricting plate 151.

The outer diameter of the disk portion 155 is larger than that of the tilting center body 153, and an arc-shaped groove 157 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153 and the annular rib 156. The width of the arc-shaped groove 157 is approximately equal to the thickness of the engagement body 161, and both ends of the engagement body 161 fit into the arc-shaped groove 157 of the regulating plates 151, 152. In other words, the engagement body 161 is held in a state where both ends are sandwiched between the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153 and the annular rib 156. The both ends of the arc-shaped groove 157 are formed by the upper partition wall 125 and the rear partition wall 126 described above.

When the suction source 112 is operating, if air flows in between the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body 153 and the inner peripheral surface of the engagement body 161, the suction force in the suction space 123 decreases. To prevent such a decrease in suction force, the outer diameter of the tilting central body 153 is designed to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the engagement body 161, and an airtight contact state is obtained between the tilting central body 153 and the engagement body 161. The size of the tilting central body 153 is set so that the airtight contact state between the tilting central body 153 and the engagement body 161 is maintained regardless of whether the flow path forming section 143 is in a recumbent position or an upright position.

In detail, when the engaging body 161 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, only the tip portion of the inner peripheral surface of the first shell part 163 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body 153, and the tip of the first shell part 163 is separated from the upper partition wall 125. At this time, the entire inner peripheral surface of the second shell part 164 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body 153, and the tip of the second shell part 164 abuts against the rear partition wall 126. In this way, since the first shell part 163 and the second shell part 164 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body 153, airtightness is maintained between the engaging body 161 and the tilting central body 153. Therefore, even if the suction source 112 is operated, the suction force of the suction source 112 does not allow air outside the suction nozzle 120 to flow into the communication space 158 through the gap between the engaging body 161 and the tilting central body 153.

3 in the direction indicated by the arrow A, the contact area between the first shell part 163 and the tilting center body 153 increases, while the contact area between the second shell part 164 and the tilting center body 153 decreases. When the engaging body 161 reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the first shell part 163 abuts against the upper partition wall 125. At this time, the entire inner surface of the first shell part 163 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153. On the other hand, the tip of the second shell part 164 is separated from the rear partition wall 126, but only the tip part of the second shell part 164 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153. Therefore, even when the engaging body 161 reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, the first shell part 163 and the second shell part 164 are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153, so that airtightness is maintained between the engaging body 161 and the tilting center body 153. Therefore, even if the engaging body 161 is angularly displaced from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, airtightness is maintained between the engaging body 161 and the tilting center body 153.

When the engagement body 161 reaches the position shown in FIG. 4 and the flow path forming portion 143 assumes an upright position, the suction tube 140 and the vacuum cleaner body 110 are vertically aligned above the tilting center body 153. The tilting center body 153 is provided at a position where the suction tube 140 and the vacuum cleaner body 110, which are in an upright position, overlap vertically with the nozzle case 121, and supports the suction tube 140 and the vacuum cleaner body 110 in this position.

(Vacuum cleaner in action)
A user grasps the grip part 130 and tilts the suction tube 140, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip part 130 backward relative to the suction nozzle 120, as shown in Fig. 1. When the user holds the vacuum cleaner 100 in a position in which the suction tube 140, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip part 130 are tilted backward, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 to a position that is far forward from the user's standing position.

When the user operates the operating unit 131 in this state to activate the suction source 112, the suction force of the suction source 112 causes dust on the floor at a position forward of the user's standing position to flow into the suction space 123 of the suction nozzle 120. The dust then flows into the suction tube 140 through the communication space 158 in the tilting center body 153, where it is captured by the dust storage section 113 and stored therein.

When the vacuum cleaner 100 approaches the recumbent position shown in FIG. 3 from the position shown in FIG. 1, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 to a position away from the user's standing position. Conversely, when the vacuum cleaner 100 approaches the upright position shown in FIG. 4 from the position shown in FIG. 1, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 backwards and closer to the user's standing position without the user having to move backwards. In this way, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 forwards and backwards by simply changing the tilting position of the vacuum cleaner 100 without the user having to move backwards.

While the user is changing the tilting position of the vacuum cleaner 100 as described above, the engagement body 161 rotates around the tilting axis along the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153 while sliding against the outer circumferential surface of the tilting center body 153. During this time, the communication state between the communication space 158 and the flow path of the flow path forming part 143 is maintained, so that suction of dust continues. In addition, the airtight contact state between the engagement body 161 and the tilting center body 153 is also maintained, so that a decrease in suction force in the suction space 123 is unlikely to occur.

Since the engaging body 161 is located outside the tilting center body 153, the communication space 158 inside the tilting center body 153 is not blocked by the engaging body 161, and the communication state between the suction space 123 and the suction pipe 140 is maintained. In addition, since the flow path forming part 143 moves outside the tilting center body 153, it is not caught on the tilting center body 153. Therefore, even if the flow path forming part 143 is in a recumbent position or an upright position, the tilting center body 153 is allowed to be large enough to maintain an airtight contact state between the tilting center body 153 and the engaging body 161. Therefore, even without the conventional shutter member, the airtight contact state between the tilting center body 153 and the engaging body 161 is maintained, and the connection structure between the suction nozzle 120 and the suction pipe 140 is simplified.

In addition, as a result of the engagement body 161 being disposed outside the tilting central body 153, the step portion formed by the end of the engagement body 161 appears outside the communication space 158 (i.e., on the outer circumferential surface of the tilting central body 153). Dust may accumulate in this step portion, but since the step portion appears on the outer circumferential surface of the tilting central body 153, the accumulated dust can be easily removed.

In this embodiment, the tilting center body 153 has a substantially cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes as long as the flow path forming portion 143 can tilt in the front-rear direction. For example, the tilting center body 153 may be a spherical shell shape. In this case, the flow path forming portion 143 is allowed to tilt in the left-right direction. However, if the flow path forming portion 143 can be tilted in the left-right direction, it is assumed that even if the user tries to move the suction nozzle 120 in the left-right direction, the flow path forming portion 143, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip portion 130 will tilt in the left-right direction, and the suction nozzle 120 will hardly move. In order to avoid such a situation, in this embodiment, the tilting center body 153 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and in this case, the engaging body 161 is allowed to rotate relatively to the tilting center body 153 only around the tilting axis shown in FIG. 1. For this reason, the direction in which the flow path forming portion 143 can tilt is only the front-rear direction, and if the user tries to move the suction nozzle 120 in the left-right direction, the flow path forming portion 143 will not tilt. At this time, the relative left-right displacement of the engaging body 161 with respect to the tilting center body 153 is restricted by the restricting plates 151, 152, so the engaging body 161 and the tilting center body 153 move together in the left-right direction. In other words, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 left-right as intended.

After completing the cleaning task, the user may place the suction tube 140 in an upright position. In this state, the size of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the front-to-rear direction is smaller than when the suction tube 140 is tilted backward. Therefore, the user can place the suction tube 140 in an upright position and store the vacuum cleaner 100 in a small storage space.

When the suction tube 140 is in an upright position, the suction tube 140 and the vacuum cleaner body 110 are aligned vertically on the tilting center body 153, so the weight of the vacuum cleaner body 110 is unlikely to act to tilt the suction tube 140 around the tilting center body 153. Therefore, even if the user is not supporting the vacuum cleaner 100, the vacuum cleaner 100 can maintain the position shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, after the vacuum cleaner 100 is stored in the storage space, the suction tube 140, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip part 130 are unlikely to fall backward and hit furniture around the storage space.

Second Embodiment
In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first embodiment, when the suction nozzle 120 is rotated around the axis of the suction tube 140 to change the direction of the suction nozzle 120, the user needs to move the entire vacuum cleaner 100, which may be troublesome. For this reason, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured to allow the suction nozzle 120 to rotate relative to the vacuum cleaner body 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the flow path forming part 143 may have a base end tube part 141 extending from the vacuum cleaner body 110, and a tip tube part 162 extending from the engagement body 161 and connected to the base end tube part 141 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the base end tube part 141. The base end part of the tip tube part 162 is fitted into the base end tube part 141, while the tip part of the tip tube part 162 protrudes from the base end tube part 141.

When the tip tube portion 162 rotates around the axis of the base tube portion 141, the suction nozzle 120 (nozzle case 121) also rotates around the axis of the base tube portion 141. Therefore, the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 (nozzle case 121) can be changed between the orientation shown in FIG. 6 and the orientation shown in FIG. 7. In the state shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle case 121 is elongated in the left-right direction, and in the state shown in FIG. 7, the nozzle case 121 is elongated in the front-rear direction.

In Figures 6 and 7, the vacuum cleaner 100 is in an upright position. In this state, the vacuum cleaner body 110 has an elliptical shape that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction in a plan view. The front-to-rear size of the vacuum cleaner body 110 is larger than the front-to-rear size of the nozzle case 121 shown in Figure 6. The left-to-right size of the vacuum cleaner body 110 is smaller than the left-to-right size of the nozzle case 121 shown in Figure 7.

As in the first embodiment, the user can place the suction tube 140 in an upright position and store the vacuum cleaner 100 in a specified storage space. At this time, the vacuum cleaner body 110 is positioned so as to overlap the nozzle case 121 in the vertical direction, so that the amount of protrusion of the vacuum cleaner body 110 from the nozzle case 121 in a plan view is small, as shown in FIG. 6. In the state shown in FIG. 6, if there is a space wider than the front-to-rear size of the vacuum cleaner body 110, the user can store the vacuum cleaner 100 in that space.

If the user wishes to store the vacuum cleaner 100 in an even smaller space, the user can rotate the nozzle case 121 around the axis of the flow path forming portion 143 to the state shown in FIG. 7. In this state, the vacuum cleaner body 110 does not protrude from the nozzle case 121 in a plan view, and if there is a space wider than the left-right size of the nozzle case 121 in FIG. 7, the user can store the vacuum cleaner 100 in that space.

In this way, the vacuum cleaner body 110 is small in the left-right direction so that the vacuum cleaner 100 can be stored in a small space. However, the vacuum cleaner body 110 is relatively large in the front-rear direction, and has a volume large enough to accommodate the suction source 112 and the dust storage section 113.

In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 7, when the suction tube 140 is in an upright position, the vacuum cleaner body 110 is in a position that vertically overlaps the nozzle case 121. In this case, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be stored in a small space as described above, but if there is no such need, the nozzle case 121 may be located in front of the vacuum cleaner body 110 when the suction tube 140 is in an upright position.

In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figures 1 to 7, the upper portion of the suction nozzle 120 is generally in the shape of a straight rod. With this structure, it may be difficult for the user to distinguish between the front and rear of the vacuum cleaner 100. To make it easier to distinguish between the front and rear of the vacuum cleaner 100, the grip portion 130 may have a curved shape, as shown in Figure 8.

The grip part 130 shown in FIG. 8 has a rod-shaped fixed part 132 fixed to the upper end of the vacuum cleaner body 110, and a bent part 133 connected to the upper end of the fixed part 132 in a bent position relative to the fixed part 132. The vacuum cleaner body 110 shown in FIG. 8 is in an upright position, in which the fixed part 132 extends in the vertical direction. In contrast, the bent part 133 is inclined backward relative to the fixed part 132. Therefore, the user can determine the front-to-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner 100 based on the bending direction of the bent part 133.

When storing the vacuum cleaner 100, the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 may be changed from the orientation in which the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the left-right direction (as shown in FIG. 8) to the orientation in which the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the front-rear direction (as shown in FIG. 9). That is, in the state shown in FIG. 8, the bent portion 133 protrudes from the suction nozzle 120 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tilting shaft, and the bent portion 133 may get in the way of storing the vacuum cleaner 100. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the user can change the orientation of the suction nozzle 120. In this state, the bent portion 133 is bent in the direction along the axial direction of the tilting shaft in which the suction nozzle 120 is longer, and the amount of protrusion from the suction nozzle 120 is reduced. Therefore, the user can store the vacuum cleaner 100 in a narrow space without being hindered by the bent portion 133.

The bending angle of the bending portion 133 relative to the fixed portion 132 may be constant or variable. If the bending angle of the bending portion 133 relative to the fixed portion 132 is variable, the user may set the bending angle to a desired value and fix the bending portion 133 to the fixed portion 132. As a result, the user can set the position of the bending portion 133 to an angle that is easy to grip when cleaning.

As shown in FIG. 10, the grip part 130 does not have a bent structure, and may be connected to the vacuum cleaner body 110 in an overall backward tilted position. Even in this case, the connection angle of the grip part 130 to the vacuum cleaner body 110 may be constant or variable. If the connection angle of the grip part 130 to the vacuum cleaner body 110 is variable, the user may set the connection angle to a desired value and fix the grip part 130 to the vacuum cleaner body 110. As a result, the user can set the position of the grip part 130 to an angle that is easy to grip when cleaning.

In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the grip portion 130 is configured so that at least a portion of the grip portion 130 is tilted backward, allowing the user to easily distinguish between the front and rear directions of the vacuum cleaner 100. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 11, the lower portion of the housing 111 may have a shape that is bent backward. When the lower portion of the housing 111 is bent backward, the suction tube 140 (base end tube portion 141) arranged within the lower portion of the housing 111 also has a shape that is bent backward, as shown in Fig. 12.

In the state shown in FIG. 12, the tip tube 162 is in an upright position, but the housing 111 and the upper portion of the base tube 141 are tilted backward, so that the user does not have to pull the vacuum cleaner 100 backward too much when cleaning. Therefore, the movable range of the suction tube 140 may be smaller than that of the suction tube 140 of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 10.

The bending angles of the housing 111 and the suction tube 140 are preferably set so that the vacuum cleaner 100 does not tip over when the user stores it in the desired storage space. When storing the vacuum cleaner 100, as shown in FIG. 13, the user can change the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 so that the suction nozzle 120 is elongated in the front-rear direction. In this state, the bending angles of the housing 111 and the suction tube 140 and the length of the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft can be set so that the vacuum cleaner 100 does not tip over backwards. In other words, when the housing 111 and the suction tube 140 are bent significantly backwards, the suction nozzle 120 can be lengthened to prevent the vacuum cleaner 100 from tipping over.

Third Embodiment
The suction tube 140 and the cleaner body 110 of the first and second embodiments can tilt in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tilting shaft, but cannot tilt in the axial direction of the tilting shaft. For example, in a state where the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 is set so that the axial direction of the tilting shaft is the front-rear direction as seen by the user, the suction tube 140 and the cleaner body 110 can tilt in the left-right direction, but cannot tilt in the front-rear direction. In the third embodiment, a structure is described that allows a part of the suction tube 140 and the cleaner body 110 to tilt in the axial direction of the tilting shaft.

As shown in FIG. 14, the suction pipe 140 of the third embodiment is provided with a hinge portion 170 that allows the flow path forming portion 143 to bend only in the axial direction of the tilting shaft. Note that, except for the hinge portion 170, the vacuum cleaner 100 of the third embodiment has the same structure as the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first embodiment.

15 and 16, the flow path forming part 143 has a first part 144 on the suction nozzle 120 side with respect to the hinge part 170, and a second part 145 on the cleaner body 110 side with respect to the hinge part 170. The hinge part 170 constitutes the connection part between the first part 144 and the second part 145, and has a hinge shaft body 171 of a substantially cylindrical shape that bulges from the outer circumferential surface of the first part 144, and a pair of closing plate parts 172, 173 that close both ends of the hinge shaft body 171. The orientation of the hinge shaft body 171 is set so that the central axis (i.e., the hinge axis) of the hinge shaft body 171 is substantially perpendicular to both the axis of the flow path forming part 143 and the tilt axis. The closing plate parts 172, 173 are arranged opposite each other with a gap in between in the axial direction of the hinge axis. In addition, the closure plate portions 172 and 173 have a symmetrical shape in the axial direction of the hinge shaft. In detail, the closure plate portions 172 and 173 each have a disk portion 174 and an annular rib 175 that protrudes outward in the axial direction of the hinge shaft from the outer peripheral edge of the disk portion 174.

The hinge portion 170 further has an engagement body 176 provided at the tip (lower end) of the second portion 145. The engagement body 176 has a generally semi-cylindrical shape that forms a space into which roughly the upper half of the hinge shaft body 171 fits, and the inner peripheral surface of the engagement body 176 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the hinge shaft body 171 so as to provide airtightness between the engagement body 176 and the hinge shaft body 171. The length of the engagement body 176 in the axial direction of the hinge shaft is set so that both ends of the engagement body 176 overlap the annular ribs 175 of the closure plate portions 172 and 173.

To maintain the connection between the engagement body 176 and the hinge shaft 171, a pair of connection holders 177 are fixed to the closure plates 172 and 173. As shown in FIG. 17, the connection holder 177 has a fixed disk 178 that is formed so as to be fixed to the closure plates 172 and 173, and an outer annular rib 179 and an inner annular rib 180 protrude from the inner surface of the fixed disk 178.

The outer annular rib 179 and the inner annular rib 180 are formed at a distance from each other in the radial direction of the fixed disk 178, and an annular groove portion 181 is formed between the outer annular rib 179 and the inner annular rib 180. The annular ribs 175 and one end of the engagement body 176 of the closure plate portions 172 and 173 fit into the annular groove portion 181.

The inner diameter of the outer annular rib 179 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the engagement body 176. The outer diameter of the inner annular rib 180 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the annular rib 175 of the closure plate portions 172 and 173. Therefore, the outer annular rib 179 and the inner annular rib 180 sandwich the annular rib 175 and engagement body 176 that are inserted into the annular groove portion 181 in the radial direction of the fixed disc 178.

The cleaning operation in the state shown in FIG. 14 can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, the user tilts the flow path forming portion 143, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip portion 130 backward, and moves the suction nozzle 120 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 14, the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 is set so that the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the left-right direction, and the nozzle case 121 is elongated in the left-right direction. If the user moves the suction nozzle 120 in this state in the front-rear direction, dust can be removed from a wide area in the left-right direction. After completing this cleaning operation, the user can place the vacuum cleaner 100 in an upright position as shown in FIG. 18 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the state shown in FIG. 18, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be stored in a narrow space.

When cleaning a narrow space, the user moves to a position aligned with the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft and stands behind the suction nozzle 120. At this time, the axial direction of the tilting shaft is the front-rear direction, and the axial direction of the hinge shaft is the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 19. In this state, the user can bend the flow path forming part 143 toward the user (i.e., backward) around the hinge part 170 as an axis. This bending operation causes the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 130 to tilt backward around the hinge shaft. At this time, since the suction nozzle 120 is narrow in the left-right direction, the user can push the suction nozzle 120 forward and insert the suction nozzle 120 into a narrow space to remove dust from the space.

14 to 19, the nozzle case 121 (and the suction space 123) are elongated in the axial direction of the tilting axis. Alternatively, the nozzle case 121 (and the suction space 123) may be elongated in a direction perpendicular to the tilting axis in a plan view (i.e., in the axial direction of the hinge axis). In this case, if a user stands behind the suction nozzle 120, whose tilting axis is oriented in the left-right direction as seen from the user, the suction nozzle 120 becomes narrower in the left-right direction as seen from the user. In this state, the user can tilt the flow path forming part 143, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip part 130 toward the user (i.e., backward) around the tilting axis, and insert the suction nozzle 120 into the narrow space located forward and away from the user.

On the other hand, if the user stands in line with the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft and holds the vacuum cleaner 100 so that the suction nozzle 120 is positioned in front of the user, the nozzle case 121 becomes wider in the left-right direction as seen by the user. In this state, the user can bend the flow path forming part 143 toward the user using the hinge part 170 as an axis, and the part on the user's side (i.e., the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 130) can be tilted backward relative to the hinge part 170. Even in this state, the suction nozzle 120 can reach a position far in front of the user, and can remove dust from a wide area in the left-right direction at a position far in front of the user.

Fourth Embodiment
In the third embodiment, the hinge portion 170 allows the vacuum cleaner body 110 to tilt around a hinge axis perpendicular to the tilt axis. Alternatively, a part of the suction tube 140 may be made flexible to allow the vacuum cleaner body 110 to tilt in a direction other than the direction perpendicular to the tilt axis. The suction tube 140 shown in Fig. 20 differs from the suction tube 140 shown in Fig. 5 only in that the base end tube portion 141 is flexible and exposed to the lower side from the housing 111.

The base end tube 141 is flexible, but has a certain degree of rigidity. That is, the base end tube 141 does not bend with the force applied to the suction tube 140 when the user tries to tilt the suction tube 140 backward around the tilting center body 153 and when the user tries to move the suction nozzle 120 left and right (i.e., in the axial direction of the tilting axis). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, when the user applies a force F to the base end tube 141 that is greater than the force required to move the suction nozzle 120 left and right, the base end tube 141 bends from the straight tube shape shown in FIG. 21 and deforms into the curved shape shown in FIG. 22. As a result, the part of the base end tube 141 above the bent part (i.e., the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 130) tilts in the axial direction of the tilting axis.

20 to 22, if the base end tube 141 can maintain a relatively high rigidity, the user can distinguish between moving the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft and bending the base end tube 141. However, if the rigidity of the base end tube 141 decreases over time, it is expected that the base end tube 141 will bend even if the user tries to move the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft. In this case, the suction nozzle 120 will not move in the axial direction of the tilting shaft as much as the user intends, and the user may find the vacuum cleaner 100 difficult to use. In order to prevent such a situation, the vacuum cleaner 100 is preferably further provided with a bending restriction portion 190 that restricts the bending direction of the base end tube 141 backward (i.e., toward the user) as shown in FIG. 23.

In FIG. 23, the bending restriction portion 190 has a pair of bending legs 191, 192 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and these bending legs 191, 192 have a symmetrical structure. Note that in FIG. 23, the suction nozzle 120 is elongated in the left-right direction, but by rotating the tip tube portion 162 around the axis of the base tube portion 141, it is possible to change the orientation of the suction nozzle 120 so that it is elongated in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 24.

The bent legs 191, 192 each have an upper leg 194 that protrudes from the lower end of the housing 111 toward the support plate 166, and a lower leg 193 that protrudes from the support plate 166 fixed to the flow path forming part 143 toward the housing 111. The lower leg 193 and the upper leg 194 are elongated plate-like members, and their ends overlap in the left-right direction. The ends of the lower leg 193 and the upper leg 194 are connected by a connecting member 195, which is configured to allow the upper leg 194 to bend backward relative to the lower leg 193, but not to bend in other directions.

In addition, since the bending legs 191, 192 are connected to the support plate 166 attached to the flow path forming portion 143 and the housing 111, the bending restriction portion 190 can tilt around the tilt axis together with the flow path forming portion 143 and the housing 111. During this tilting operation, in order to prevent the flow path forming portion 143 from bending unnecessarily, the bending restriction portion 190 is configured so that the force required to bend the bending restriction portion 190 is greater than the force required to tilt the flow path forming portion 143 around the tilt axis. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 23, when the axial direction of the tilt axis is in the left-right direction, the bending restriction portion 190 can tilt around the tilt axis together with the flow path forming portion 143 while restricting the bending of the flow path forming portion 143.

24, the flow path forming portion 143 and the bending restriction portion 190 are not bent and are in an upright position. In this state, if the flow path forming portion 143 has high rigidity as in the first embodiment, the flow path forming portion 143 can support the vacuum cleaner body 110 aligned vertically with the flow path forming portion 143 on the tilting center body 153. However, in this embodiment, the base end tube portion 141 is flexible, and it is assumed that the flow path forming portion 143 alone cannot support the vacuum cleaner body 110. Therefore, the bending restriction portion 190 has sufficient rigidity to support the vacuum cleaner body 110 located above the tilting center body 153 when not bent.

As shown in FIG. 23, when the tilt axis is in the left-right direction, the user can tilt the suction tube 140 and the housing 111 backwards without bending the suction tube 140 much. On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 23, even if the user applies a force in the left-right direction (i.e., the axial direction of the tilt axis), the tilt center body 153 is not configured to allow left-right tilting, and left-right bending of the base end tube portion 141 is prevented by the bending restriction portion 190. Therefore, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 in the left-right direction as intended.

24 (where the tilt axis is in the front-rear direction), the tilting center body 153 does not allow the suction tube 140 and the housing 111 to tilt backward, while the upper leg 194 of the bending restriction part 190 is bendable backward with respect to the lower leg 193. Therefore, when a user applies a rearward force to the housing 111 shown in FIG. 24, the bending restriction part 190 bends as shown in FIG. 25. That is, the upper leg 194 tilts backward around the connecting member 195. Following the bending movement of the bending restriction part 190, the base end tube part 141 bends backward. Due to the rearward bending of the base end tube part 141 and the bending restriction part 190, the housing 111 and the grip part 130 are in a position inclined backward. In this state, if the user advances the suction nozzle 120, the suction nozzle 120 becomes narrower in the left-right direction, so the user can insert the suction nozzle 120 into a narrow space and remove dust from that space.

The suction nozzle 120 of the vacuum cleaner 100 in Figs. 20 to 25 is elongated in the axial direction of the tilting shaft. Alternatively, the suction nozzle 120 may be short in the axial direction of the tilting shaft and long in the direction perpendicular to the tilting shaft in a plan view. In this case, if the user stands in a position aligned with the suction nozzle 120 in the axial direction of the tilting shaft so that the suction nozzle 120 is located in front of the user, the suction nozzle 120 is elongated in the left-right direction as seen from the user. In this standing position, the user can move the suction nozzle 120 to a position farther forward from the user by bending the base end tube portion 141 and the bending restriction portion 190 backward. From this state, if the user rotates the suction nozzle 120 by 90° around the axis of the base end tube portion 141, the suction nozzle 120 becomes narrower in the left-right direction as seen from the user. At this time, the user can tilt the suction tube 140, the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the grip part 130 backward around the tilt axis, and move the suction nozzle 120 to a position away from the user in front of the user.

In the above embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 100 is a stick type vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, the connection structure between the suction nozzle 120 and the suction tube 140 using the tilting center body 153 and the engagement body 161 may be applied to a canister type vacuum cleaner.

(Effects, etc.)
The vacuum cleaner 100 according to the above embodiment has the following characteristics and provides the following effects.

A vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment includes a vacuum cleaner body with a built-in suction source that generates a suction force for sucking in dust, a suction pipe having a flow path forming section that extends from the vacuum cleaner body to form a flow path through which dust sucked in by the suction force of the suction source flows, and an engagement body provided at the tip of the flow path forming section, a nozzle case that forms a suction space into which dust on the floor surface flows by the suction force of the suction source, and a suction nozzle having a tilting central body that can engage with the engagement body to allow the flow path forming section to tilt while maintaining a state in which the suction space is connected to the flow path of the flow path forming section. The engagement body is in airtight contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tilting central body.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the engagement body provided at the tip of the flow path forming part is engaged with the tilting center body while contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tilting center body, and is therefore located outside the tilting center body. Therefore, the flow path forming part of the suction tube tilts around the tilting center body outside the tilting center body, and this tilting is not hindered by the tilting center body. Therefore, even if the tilting center body is made larger to some extent so that an airtight contact state between the tilting center body and the engagement body can be obtained in the tilting range required for the suction tube, the tilting of the flow path forming part is not restricted by the tilting center body. In other words, an airtight connection state between the suction tube and the suction nozzle can be obtained simply by making the tilting center body larger without providing a separate sealing member. Therefore, the suction tube and the suction nozzle can be connected with a simple structure.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the tilting center body may be configured to allow the engagement body to rotate relative to the tilting center body only around a predetermined tilting axis.

If the tilting central body is, for example, spherical, the engaging body can revolve in various directions relative to the tilting central body. In this case, even if the user tries to move the suction nozzle to the left, for example, the suction nozzle itself will hardly move in this direction, and the flow path forming part will only tilt to the left. In order to prevent such a situation, the above-mentioned configuration is configured to allow the engaging body to revolve relative to the tilting central body only around a predetermined tilting axis. In this case, the user can stand behind the suction nozzle, whose tilting axis extends in the left-right direction as seen from the user, and tilt the flow path forming part toward the user. In this state, the flow path forming part is laid down so as to follow the floor surface compared to when it is in an upright position, so the user can move the suction nozzle to a position farther forward than when the flow path forming part is in an upright position. In other words, the user can remove dust that is farther forward without moving forward himself. Furthermore, when the user moves the suction nozzle left or right (i.e., in the axial direction of the tilting shaft) in this standing position, the tilting center body does not allow the engaging body to rotate, and instead of tilting the flow path forming part, the suction nozzle moves left or right.

In the above configuration, the tilting center body may have a cylindrical shape.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the tilting center body has a cylindrical shape, so that the engaging body is allowed to rotate only around the central axis of the tilting center body, but is not allowed to rotate around other axes.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the flow path forming section may have a base end pipe section extending from the vacuum cleaner body, and a tip end pipe section extending from the engagement body and connected to the base end pipe section so as to be rotatable about the axis of the base end pipe section. The nozzle case may have an elongated shape, and may be rotatable together with the tip end pipe section about the axis of the base end pipe section by rotating the tip end pipe section about the axis of the base end pipe section.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the tip tube portion extending from the engagement body connected to the suction nozzle is connected to the base tube portion rotatably around the axis of the base tube portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body, so that the user can rotate the suction nozzle around the axis of the base tube portion without moving the vacuum cleaner body. When the suction nozzle is rotated in this way, the orientation of the nozzle case changes. Therefore, the user can perform cleaning work, for example, as follows. If the user advances the nozzle case in a direction in which the nozzle case is longer in the left-right direction as seen by the user, dust can be removed from a wide area in the left-right direction. If the user then rotates the nozzle case by 90° around the axis of the base tube portion, the nozzle case becomes narrow as seen by the user. If the user advances the nozzle case in this state, the nozzle case can be inserted into a narrow space in front of the user and dust can be removed from the space.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the flow path forming section may be formed in a straight pipe shape. The vacuum cleaner body may be connected to the base end of the flow path forming section so as to be aligned with the flow path forming section in the axial direction of the flow path forming section. The tilting central body may be configured to allow the flow path forming section to be in an upright position on the tilting central body, and may be capable of supporting the suction pipe and the vacuum cleaner body aligned in the vertical direction above the tilting central body.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the user can tilt the flow path forming part and the vacuum cleaner body together around the tilting central body. The vacuum cleaner body is connected to the base end of the flow path forming part so as to be aligned with the flow path forming part in the axial direction of the straight tube-shaped flow path forming part, so that when the flow path forming part is in an upright position on the tilting central body, the vacuum cleaner body and the flow path forming part are aligned in the vertical direction above the tilting central body. In this state, the weight of the vacuum cleaner body is unlikely to act to tilt the flow path forming part around the tilting central body, so that the vacuum cleaner can maintain the flow path forming part in an upright position on the tilting central body even if the user is not supporting the vacuum cleaner. If the flow path forming part is in an inclined position, the size of the vacuum cleaner increases in this inclined direction, but if the flow path forming part is in an upright position, the size of the vacuum cleaner in this direction is reduced. Therefore, the user can store the vacuum cleaner in a narrow space by placing the flow path forming part in an upright position.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the tilting center body may be located at a position where the flow path forming section and the vacuum cleaner main body overlap the nozzle case in the vertical direction when the flow path forming section is in an upright position.

As mentioned above, by placing the suction tube and the vacuum cleaner body in an upright position, it becomes possible to store the vacuum cleaner in a small storage space. However, if the nozzle case is located in front of the vacuum cleaner body, the vacuum cleaner will have a combined size in the front-to-rear direction of the nozzle case and the vacuum cleaner body, and a fairly large storage space is required to store the vacuum cleaner.

In the above configuration, when the flow path forming part is in an upright position, the flow path forming part and the vacuum cleaner main body overlap in the vertical direction with the nozzle case, so the amount by which the flow path forming part and the vacuum cleaner main body protrude from the nozzle case in a plan view is small. Therefore, if there is a space wide enough to insert the nozzle case, the user can store the vacuum cleaner in that space.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the nozzle case may have an elongated shape. The suction nozzle may be connectable to the suction pipe with the nozzle case oriented so that it is elongated in the front-rear direction. The left-right size of the vacuum cleaner body may be equal to or smaller than the left-right size of the nozzle case.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the left-right size of the vacuum cleaner body is equal to or smaller than the left-right size of the nozzle case, which is elongated in the front-rear direction, and the vacuum cleaner body does not protrude from the nozzle case in the left-right direction in a plan view. Therefore, if there is a narrow space wide enough to insert the nozzle case, the user can store the vacuum cleaner in that space.

In the above configuration, the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the front-to-rear direction may be greater than the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the left-to-right direction.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the left-right direction is small so that the vacuum cleaner can be stored in a narrow storage space, as described above, but the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the front-rear direction is larger than the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the left-right direction. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body can have a relatively large volume, and the suction source built into the vacuum cleaner body can be made relatively large.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the flow path forming section may have a flexible base end pipe section extending from the vacuum cleaner body, and a tip end pipe section extending from the engagement body and connected to the base end pipe section so as to be rotatable around the axis of the base end pipe section. The nozzle case may have an elongated shape in the axial direction of the tilting shaft or in a direction perpendicular to the tilting shaft in a plan view, and may be rotatable around the axis of the base end pipe section together with the tip end pipe section by rotating the tip end pipe section around the axis of the base end pipe section. The vacuum cleaner may further include a bending restriction section configured to allow the base end pipe section to bend backward while restricting bending of the base end pipe section in other directions.

In the above-mentioned configuration, since the nozzle case has an elongated shape, by rotating the tip tube part around the axis of the base tube part, the orientation of the suction nozzle can be set to an orientation suitable for inserting the suction nozzle into a narrow space or an orientation suitable for removing dust from a wide area. For example, if the nozzle case has an elongated shape in the axial direction of the tilting axis, the user can remove dust from a wide area in the lateral direction by setting the orientation of the suction nozzle so that the axial direction of the tilting axis is in the left-right direction. If the tip tube part is rotated 90° from this orientation around the axis of the base tube part, the axial direction of the tilting axis becomes the front-back direction, and the nozzle case becomes narrower as seen by the user. Therefore, the user can insert the nozzle case into a narrow space in front. Conversely, if the nozzle case has an elongated shape in a direction perpendicular to the tilting axis in a plan view, the user can insert the nozzle case into a narrow space if the suction nozzle is oriented so that the tilting axis is in the front-back direction. Furthermore, if the suction nozzle is oriented so that the tilt axis is oriented in the left-right direction, the user can remove dust from a wide area in the left-right direction.

When the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the left-right direction and the user attempts to tilt the flow path forming section backward, the engaging body can rotate relatively to the tilting center body, so such tilting of the flow path forming section is permitted. On the other hand, even if the user attempts to move the suction nozzle in the left-right direction, the engaging body is not permitted to rotate relatively in this direction. For this reason, the force of the user can act to bend the flexible base end tube section in the left-right direction, but the bending of the base end tube section in this direction is restricted by the bending restriction section. Therefore, the base end tube section does not bend, and the user can move the suction nozzle left-right as intended.

When the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the front-to-rear direction, even if the user attempts to tilt the flow path forming section backward, the engagement body is not permitted to rotate relative to the tilting center body. However, the bending restriction section permits the base end pipe section to bend backward (i.e., toward the user), so the portion of the base end pipe section closer to the user than the bent portion can be tilted backward. Therefore, even when the axial direction of the tilting shaft is in the front-to-rear direction, the user can move the suction nozzle to a position farther forward from the user.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the vacuum cleaner body may be connected to the base end of the flow path forming part and configured to be tiltable together with the flow path forming part around the tilting center body from a position above the tilting center body. The bending restriction part may be configured to support the vacuum cleaner body in a position above the tilting center body.

When the vacuum cleaner body is in a position above the tilting center body, the weight of the vacuum cleaner body is unlikely to act to tilt the flow path forming part around the tilting center body, but since the base end tube part is flexible, it is expected that the flow path forming part will not be able to support the vacuum cleaner body. For this reason, in the above-mentioned configuration, when the vacuum cleaner body is in a position above the tilting center body, it is supported by the bending restriction part.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the nozzle case may have an elongated shape in the axial direction of the tilt shaft. The flow path forming portion may be configured to be bendable only in the axial direction of the tilt shaft.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, when a user stands behind the suction nozzle whose tilting axis extends in the left-right direction as seen from the user, the nozzle case is wider in the left-right direction as seen from the user. When the user tilts the flow path forming part toward the user around the tilting axis in this standing position, the nozzle case can reach a position far in front of the user. In this state, when the user moves the nozzle case in the front-rear direction, dust can be removed from a wide area in the left-right direction that is far in front of the user. In this operation, the force of the user acts at right angles to the tilting axis, not in the axial direction of the tilting axis, so the flow path forming part does not bend unnecessarily.

When cleaning a narrow space, the user moves to a position where the tilt axis extends in the front-to-rear direction as seen from the user's perspective, and holds the vacuum cleaner so that the suction nozzle is in front of the user. In this position, the flow path forming part is not allowed to tilt around the tilting center body towards the user, but the user can bend the flow path forming part towards the user. If the flow path forming part is bent towards the user, the suction nozzle can be moved to a position farther forward without the user having to move forward.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the nozzle case may have an elongated shape in a direction perpendicular to the tilt axis in a plan view. The flow path forming portion may be configured to be bendable only in the axial direction of the tilt axis.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, when a user stands behind the suction nozzle whose tilting axis extends in the left-right direction as seen from the user, the nozzle case narrows in the left-right direction as seen from the user. If the user tilts the flow path forming part toward the user around the tilting axis in this standing position, the suction nozzle can reach a position far in front of the user. Therefore, if there is a narrow gap in a position far in front of the user, the user can stand in a position far behind the gap and insert the suction nozzle into the gap. If the user moves from this standing position to a position where the tilting axis extends in the front-rear direction and holds the vacuum cleaner so that the suction nozzle is in front of the user, the nozzle case widens in the left-right direction as seen from the user. In this state, if the flow path forming part is bent toward the user, the suction nozzle can reach a position far in front of the user without the user himself moving forward.

In the above configuration, the vacuum cleaner may further include a grip portion that extends from the vacuum cleaner body and is thick enough for a user to grip. The grip portion may be connected to the vacuum cleaner body so that the connection angle with respect to the vacuum cleaner body can be changed.

The above-mentioned configuration allows the angle at which the grip part is connected to the vacuum cleaner body to be changed, so the user can adjust the grip part to an angle that is easy to grip.

In the above configuration, the vacuum cleaner may further include a grip portion that extends from the vacuum cleaner body and is thick enough for a user to grip. The grip portion may have a fixed portion that is fixed to the vacuum cleaner body, and a bending portion that can be bent relative to the fixed portion. The bending angle of the bending portion relative to the fixed portion may be variable.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the bending angle of the bending part relative to the fixed part fixed to the vacuum cleaner body is variable, so the user can adjust the bending part to an angle that is easy to grip.

The technology of this embodiment is suitable for use in equipment used for cleaning work.

100.... Vacuum cleaner 110.... Vacuum cleaner body 112.... Suction source 120.... Suction nozzle 121.... Nozzle case 123.... Suction space 130.... Grip portion 132.... Fixed portion 133.... Bending portion 140.... Suction tube 141.... Base end tube portion 143.... Flow path forming portion 153.... Tilting center body 161.... Engagement body 162.... Tip tube portion 176.... Engagement body 190.... Bending restriction portion

Claims (14)

A vacuum cleaner body having a built-in suction source that generates suction power for sucking up dust;
a suction pipe including a flow path forming portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body so as to form a flow path through which dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flows, and an engagement body provided at a tip of the flow path forming portion;
a suction nozzle having a nozzle case forming a suction space into which dust on a floor surface flows by the suction force of the suction source, and a tilting center body engageable with the engaging body so as to allow the flow path forming portion to tilt while maintaining a state in which the suction space is connected to the flow path of the flow path forming portion,
The engagement body is in airtight contact with an outer circumferential surface of the tilting central body. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the tilting center body is configured to allow the engagement body to rotate relative to the tilting center body only around a predetermined tilting axis. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the tilting center body has a cylindrical shape. the flow path forming portion has a base end pipe portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body, and a tip end pipe portion extending from the engagement body and connected to the base end pipe portion so as to be rotatable around an axis of the base end pipe portion,
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the nozzle case has an elongated shape and is rotatable together with the tip tube portion about the axis of the base tube portion by rotating the tip tube portion about the axis of the base tube portion. The flow path forming portion is formed in a straight pipe shape,
The vacuum cleaner body is connected to a base end of the flow path forming portion so as to be aligned with the flow path forming portion in an axial direction of the flow path forming portion,
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tilting central body is configured to allow the flow path forming portion to be in an upright position on the tilting central body, and is capable of supporting the suction pipe and the vacuum cleaner body arranged in a vertical direction above the tilting central body. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the tilting center body is provided at a position where the flow path forming part and the vacuum cleaner main body overlap the nozzle case in the vertical direction when the flow path forming part is in the upright position. The nozzle case has an elongated shape,
the suction nozzle is connectable to the suction pipe in a state in which the nozzle case is oriented so as to be elongated in a front-rear direction,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein a left-right size of the vacuum cleaner body is equal to or smaller than a left-right size of the nozzle case. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the front-to-rear direction is greater than the size of the vacuum cleaner body in the left-to-right direction. the flow path forming portion has a flexible base end pipe portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body, and a tip end pipe portion extending from the engagement body and connected to the base end pipe portion so as to be rotatable around an axis of the base end pipe portion,
the nozzle case has an elongated shape in an axial direction of the tilt shaft or in a direction perpendicular to the tilt shaft in a plan view, and is rotatable together with the tip pipe portion about the axis of the base pipe portion by rotating the tip pipe portion about the axis of the base pipe portion,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , further comprising a bending restriction portion configured to permit the base end pipe portion to bend backward while restricting bending of the base end pipe portion in other directions. the cleaner body is connected to a base end of the flow path forming part and is configured to be tiltable together with the flow path forming part around the tilting central body from a position above the tilting central body,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 , wherein the bending restriction portion is configured to support the vacuum cleaner body at a position above the tilting central body. The nozzle case has an elongated shape in an axial direction of the tilt shaft,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flow path forming portion is configured to be bendable only in an axial direction of the tilt shaft. the nozzle case has an elongated shape in a direction perpendicular to the tilt axis in a plan view,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flow path forming portion is configured to be bendable only in an axial direction of the tilt shaft. The vacuum cleaner further includes a grip portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body and having a thickness that allows the user to grip the grip portion,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the grip part is connected to the vacuum cleaner body in such a manner that a connection angle of the grip part to the vacuum cleaner body can be changed. The vacuum cleaner further includes a grip portion extending from the vacuum cleaner body with a thickness that allows the user to grip the grip portion,
The grip portion has a fixed portion fixed to the vacuum cleaner body and a bending portion bendable relative to the fixed portion,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein a bending angle of the bending portion relative to the fixed portion is variable.