JP2024062745A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vacuum cleaner that can reduce the burden when removing an attachment. [Solution] The vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure is a vacuum cleaner that includes a vacuum cleaner main body having an electric blower that draws in and exhausts air, a dust collecting section, and an attachment that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, and the connection section between the vacuum cleaner main body and the attachment includes a female joint section provided on one of the vacuum cleaner main body or the attachment, a male joint section provided on the other of the vacuum cleaner main body or the attachment that can be fitted into the female joint section, and an assist mechanism that assists in removing the male joint section from the female joint section. [Selected Figure] Figure 9

Description

This disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a suction pipe device for a vacuum cleaner, which is characterized by having a suction pipe having a connection pipe section at its end, a connection pin that is provided on the connection pipe section and can be freely attached and detached in the axial direction to an electrical contact provided on a connected body to which the suction pipe is connected, a cover body molded from an elastic material that is provided on the connection pipe section of the suction pipe and can be freely advanced and retreated in the axial direction of the connection pin and covers the connection pin so that it can be freely retracted, an elastic body that is provided on the connection pipe section and biases the cover body in a direction covering the connection pin, and a through hole that is provided on the cover body, opens on the tip surface of the cover body, and has a small diameter section whose diameter in its natural state is smaller than the diameter of the connection pin and a tapered cone-shaped section whose diameter increases from the small diameter section toward the base end.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-148653

Vacuum cleaners can be transformed into a more user-friendly form by attaching an attachment, but there is an issue of the burden that comes with removing the attachment.

This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above. The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a vacuum cleaner that reduces the burden when removing an attachment.

The vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure is a vacuum cleaner comprising an electric blower for intake and exhaust, a vacuum cleaner body having a dust collection section, and an attachment connectable to the vacuum cleaner body, and the connection section between the vacuum cleaner body and the attachment comprises a female joint section provided on either the vacuum cleaner body or the attachment, a male joint section provided on the other of the vacuum cleaner body or the attachment and engageable with the female joint section, and an assist mechanism for assisting in the removal of the male joint section from the female joint section.

This disclosure makes it possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that reduces the burden when removing an attachment.

1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body of the electric vacuum cleaner. FIG. 2 is a side view of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tube of the vacuum cleaner. FIG. 2 is a side view of a handle of the vacuum cleaner. FIG. 2 shows a crevice nozzle. FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. 10 is a plan view for explaining a modified example of the assist mechanism in FIG. 9 . FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the support base and a portion of the tube body. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of an assist mechanism. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of an assist mechanism.

The following describes the embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are used to designate common or corresponding elements in each drawing, and the description is simplified or omitted. In this disclosure, when an angle is mentioned, if there is a reflex angle and a minor angle whose sum is 360 degrees, it generally refers to the minor angle, and if there is an acute angle and an obtuse angle whose sum is 180 degrees, it generally refers to the acute angle. In addition, the configuration shown in the embodiment shown below is an example of the technical idea related to this disclosure, and it is possible to combine it with another known technology, and it is also possible to combine multiple technical ideas described in this disclosure. In addition, it is also possible to omit or change part of the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

Embodiment 1.
A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Fig. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a vacuum cleaner. Fig. 2 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner. Fig. 3 is a side view of a suction tool of the vacuum cleaner. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a tube of the vacuum cleaner. Fig. 5 is a side view of a handle of the vacuum cleaner.

In the following explanation, dust and other debris may be collectively referred to simply as "dust." Air that contains dust may be referred to as "dust-containing air." And air from which dust has been removed may be referred to as "clean air."

The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment is a cordless upright vacuum cleaner. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 has, as its main components, a vacuum cleaner body 10, a tube body 30, a suction tool 20, and a handle 40. The vacuum cleaner 1 of the present disclosure is not limited to a cordless upright vacuum cleaner, and may be, for example, a canister type.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner body 10 includes a housing 15 and a dust collection section 16. The housing 15 is a member that forms the outer shell, i.e., the outer cover, of the vacuum cleaner body 10. An electric blower 17 and a secondary battery 18 are built into the housing 15 of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The electric blower 17 is for generating the suction wind of the electric vacuum cleaner 1. The secondary battery 18 supplies power to drive the electric blower 17.

A female joint 11 is formed at one end of the housing 15. The female joint 11 has an opening for sucking in dust. The female joint 11 corresponds to a female joint. An air passage is formed inside the housing 15 to guide the dust-containing airflow that has passed through the female joint 11 to the dust collection section 16. A female joint 12 is provided at the other end of the housing 15.

In this embodiment, an example in which the female joints 11, 12 are provided on the vacuum cleaner body 10 is described, but in this disclosure, a male joint may be provided on the vacuum cleaner body 10. Also, in this embodiment, an example in which multiple female joints 11, 12 are provided is described, but the vacuum cleaner body 10 may be provided with only one female joint 11.

The dust collection unit 16 is for collecting dust in the dust-laden air sucked into the vacuum cleaner body 10 by the suction wind generated by the electric blower 17. The dust collection unit 16 may be detachably attached to the vacuum cleaner body 10. As an example, the dust collection unit 16 has a cylindrical appearance as a whole. The appearance of the dust collection unit 16 does not have to be cylindrical. In the configuration example described here, the dust collection unit 16 has a cyclone separation device. The cyclone separation device is a device that separates dust from the dust-laden air by swirling the dust-laden air inside with the air flow generated by the electric blower 17. In the present disclosure, the dust collection unit 16 is not limited to a cyclone type, and may be, for example, a paper bag type.

The housing 15 is provided with an exhaust section 15a. The exhaust section 15a is an opening formed in the housing 15. The airflow from which dust has been removed by the dust collection section 16 is exhausted from the exhaust section 15a to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body 10.

When the electric blower 17 is driven by the power supplied from the secondary battery 18, a suction force acts on the dust collection unit 16 and the air passage in the housing 15, and dust-containing air is sucked in through the female joint 11. In this way, the electric blower 17 generates an airflow that is sucked in through the female joint 11. The dust-containing air sucked into the female joint 11 is taken into the inside of the dust collection unit 16. In the dust collection unit 16, dust is separated from the dust-containing air. The separated dust is collected in the dust collection unit 16. In this way, the dust sucked in from the connection port of the dust collection unit 16 is collected. The clean air from which the dust has been removed is discharged from the dust collection unit 16. The clean air discharged from the dust collection unit 16 passes through the electric blower 17. The clean air that has passed through the electric blower 17 is then discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body 10 from the exhaust section 15a.

The suction tool 20 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to an attachment for cleaning floors. The suction tool 20 includes a suction mouth body 23. The suction mouth body 23 is a member having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The short side of the rectangular shape of the suction mouth body 23 is basically arranged parallel to the cleaning direction. Therefore, the long side of the rectangular shape of the suction mouth body 23 is basically arranged perpendicular to the cleaning direction. The suction mouth body 23 is provided with a male joint portion 21. The male joint portion 21 is a tubular member. One end side of the male joint portion 21 is attached to the middle part of the suction mouth body 23 in the longitudinal direction and to one side in the short direction via a joint structure.

The suction port body 23 has a suction port 24 formed on its bottom surface. Inside the suction port body 23, an air passage is formed that runs from the suction port 24 to the male joint portion 21. The suction port body 23 is equipped with a rotating brush 25. The rotating brush 25 is arranged in the air passage of the suction port body 23 so as to face the suction port 24 from above. The suction port body 23 also has a built-in rotating brush motor (not shown) for rotating the rotating brush 25. The rotating brush motor is rotated by power supplied from the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the rotating brush 25 rotates when the rotating brush motor is rotated by transmitting the rotation via a belt or the like. As the rotating brush 25 rotates, dust on the surface to be cleaned is scraped up.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tube 30 is a hollow tubular member having a linear outer shape along the longitudinal axis. The tube 30 is an example of an attachment. A female joint 31 is provided at one longitudinal end of the tube 30. A male joint 32 is provided at the other longitudinal end of the tube 30. An air passage is formed within the tube 30, leading from the female joint 31 to the male joint 32.

As shown in FIG. 5, the handle portion 40 is a portion that the user holds in his/her hand while using the vacuum cleaner 1. The handle portion 40 is an example of an attachment. The handle portion 40 includes a grip portion 45. The grip portion 45 is made of, for example, a soft material such as silicone resin, a shape-memory resin (polymer), or a low-resilience elastic foam having viscoelasticity. A male joint portion 41 is provided on one end side of the grip portion 45.

The grip portion 45 may be provided with an operation display portion 43. The operation display portion 43 may be, for example, a touch panel that can receive operation instructions for the vacuum cleaner 1 and can display various information related to the vacuum cleaner 1. The operation display portion 43 does not have to be a touch panel, and may include an operation portion such as a switch or button, and a display portion such as a liquid crystal display. When the operation display portion 43 is a touch panel, it can be said that the operation portion and the display portion are integrated. Instead of providing the operation display portion 43 on the handle portion 40, the operation display portion 43 may be provided on the vacuum cleaner body 10.

In this disclosure, the female joint portion 11, the female joint portion 12, the male joint portion 21, the female joint portion 31, the male joint portion 32, and the male joint portion 41 may be collectively referred to as a connection portion. Each of the male joint portion 21, the male joint portion 32, and the male joint portion 41 can be fitted and connected to each of the female joint portion 11, the female joint portion 12, and the female joint portion 31.

The male joint 21 of the suction tool 2 can be selectively connected to at least the female joint 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the female joint 31 of the tube 30. The female joint 31 of the tube 30 can be selectively connected to at least the male joint 21 of the suction tool 2. The male joint 32 of the tube 30 can be selectively connected to the female joint 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the female joint 12. And the male joint 41 of the handle 40 can be selectively connected to at least the female joint 31 of the tube 30 and the female joint 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10.

The vacuum cleaner 1 configured as described above can take at least two forms, a first form and a second form, by changing the combination of connections between the respective connecting parts of the vacuum cleaner body 10, the suction tool 20, the tube 30, and the handle 40. In the first form, the male joint 21 of the suction tool 2 is connected to the female joint 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, the male joint 32 of the tube 30 is connected to the female joint 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the female joint 31 of the tube 30 is connected to the male joint 41 of the handle 40. In the first form, as shown in FIG. 1(a), when the suction tool 20 is placed on the floor surface, which is the surface to be cleaned, the order is the suction tool 20, the vacuum cleaner body 10, the tube 30, and the handle 40 from the bottom. In this first form, the suction port 24 of the suction tool 20 is connected to the air passage inside the vacuum cleaner body 10 via the male joint 21 and the female joint 11, and is connected to the dust collection section 16. In the first form, the air passage inside the tube body 30 is not connected to either the suction port 24 or the female joint 11, and is not used as an air passage.

In the second form, the male joint 21 of the suction tool 20 is connected to the female joint 31 of the tube 30, the male joint 32 of the tube 30 is connected to the female joint 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the male joint 41 of the handle 40 is connected to the female joint 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10. In the second form, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the suction tool 20 is placed on the floor surface to be cleaned, the order from the bottom is the suction tool 20, the tube 30, the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the handle 40. In this first form, the suction port 24 of the suction tool 20 first communicates with the air passage in the tube 30 via the male joint 21 and the female joint 31. The air passage in the tube 30 is connected to the air passage in the vacuum cleaner body 10 via the male joint 32 and the female joint 11, and continues to the dust collection section 16. In this way, in the second form, an air passage is formed that runs from the suction port 24 to the dust collection section 16 via the tube 30.

The vacuum cleaner body 10 has an electric blower 17, a secondary battery 18, etc. built in, and is the heaviest of the parts that make up the vacuum cleaner 1. In the first form, the heavy vacuum cleaner body 10 is located on the lower side, relatively close to the floor surface. This results in a lower center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1. In the second form, the heavy vacuum cleaner body 10 is located on the upper side, relatively far from the floor surface. This results in a higher center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1. In this way, by rearranging the connection order of the vacuum cleaner body 10, the suction tool 20, the tube body 30, and the handle 40, the first form with a lower center of gravity and the second form with an upper center of gravity can be used separately. Although not shown, in the vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment, the male joint 21 of the suction tool 20 is connected to the female joint 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the male joint 41 of the handle 40 is connected to the female joint 12, so that the vacuum cleaner 1 can be made into a handy form that does not use the tube 30.

According to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment configured as described above, the order of connection of the vacuum cleaner body 10, the suction tool 20, the tube body 30, and the handle part 40 can be rearranged according to the use scene of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, such as the cleaning object, the position and condition of the surface to be cleaned, etc. In particular, the tube body 30 can be used as an extension tube from the female joint part 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 to the suction tool 20, and as a member for connecting the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the handle part 40, so that the relative position of the heavy housing 15 and the handle part 40 can be easily changed while suppressing an increase in the amount of parts required, and it is possible to improve operability according to the use scene. For example, when the surface to be cleaned is a floor surface, the first form in which the distance between the housing 15 and the handle part 40 is long can be used to lower the center of gravity and improve operability. In addition, when cleaning a high place, the second form in which the distance between the housing 15 and the handle part 40 is short can be used to improve operability, especially when cleaning a place at the same level as the user's hand or higher.

Each connection portion is provided with a connection terminal for electrically connecting the electrical components built into each part. As shown in FIG. 2, the female joint portion 11 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is provided with a first body connection terminal 13. The female joint portion 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is provided with a second body connection terminal 14. A control board (not shown) is built into the housing 15 of the vacuum cleaner body 10. Each of the first body connection terminal 13 and the second body connection terminal 14 is electrically connected to the control board via a lead wire or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the male joint 21 of the suction tool 20 is provided with a suction tool connection terminal 22. The suction tool connection terminal 22 is electrically connected to a rotary brush motor or the like via a lead wire or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the female joint 31 of the tube 30 is provided with a first tube body connection terminal 33. The male joint 32 of the tube 30 is provided with a second tube body connection terminal 34. The first tube body connection terminal 33 and the second tube body connection terminal 34 are electrically connected by a lead wire or the like. As shown in FIG. 5, the male joint 41 of the handle 40 is provided with a handle connection terminal 42. The handle connection terminal 42 is electrically connected to the operation display unit 43 via a lead wire or the like.

In the first embodiment described above, the male joint 21 and the female joint 11 are connected to electrically connect the suction tool connection terminal 22 and the first main body connection terminal 13. This electrically connects the rotary brush motor of the suction tool 20 to the control board of the vacuum cleaner main body 10. Also, the male joint 32 and the female joint 12 are connected to electrically connect the second pipe connection terminal 34 and the second main body connection terminal 14. Then, the female joint 31 and the male joint 41 are connected to electrically connect the first pipe connection terminal 33 and the handle connection terminal 42. This electrically connects the operation display unit 43 of the handle 40 to the control board of the vacuum cleaner main body 10 via the pipe 30.

In the second embodiment described above, the suction tool connection terminal 22 and the first pipe connection terminal 33 are electrically connected by connecting the male joint 21 and the female joint 31. The second pipe connection terminal 34 and the first main body connection terminal 13 are electrically connected by connecting the male joint 32 and the female joint 11. This electrically connects the rotary brush motor of the suction tool 20 to the control board of the vacuum cleaner main body 10 via the pipe 30. In addition, the handle connection terminal 42 and the second main body connection terminal 14 are electrically connected by connecting the male joint 41 and the female joint 12. This electrically connects the operation display unit 43 of the handle 40 to the control board of the vacuum cleaner main body 10.

For example, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, including the operation of the electric blower 17 and the display of the operation display unit 43, is controlled by a control circuit implemented on the control board of the vacuum cleaner body 10 described above.

Figure 6 shows a crevice nozzle 60. In Figure 6, the crevice nozzle 60 is an example of an attachment. The crevice nozzle 60 has a male joint portion 61.

As described above, the vacuum cleaner 1 of this embodiment has multiple types of attachments that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner body 10. The vacuum cleaner 1 may further include attachments other than those in the above examples. The connection between the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the attachment has a female joint provided on either the vacuum cleaner body 10 or the attachment, and a male joint provided on the other of the vacuum cleaner body 10 or the attachment that can fit into the female joint. The vacuum cleaner 1 of this embodiment has an assist mechanism that assists in removing the male joint from the female joint. With this embodiment, the assist function allows for smooth replacement of attachments when using the vacuum cleaner 1, reducing the burden of replacement.

Below, we will explain examples of assist mechanisms. The assist mechanisms described below can be applied to each of the multiple types of attachments mentioned above.

Figure 7 is a perspective view for explaining an example of the assist mechanism. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the assist mechanism. Figure 9 is a plan view for explaining an example of the assist mechanism. The examples shown in these figures have a male joint 62 and a female joint 63. The male joint 62 has a fitting portion 64 that fits inside the female joint 63. As shown in Figure 8, a release button 65 is provided on the female joint 63 side. When the male joint 62 and the female joint 63 are connected, an engagement portion 67 integrated with the release button 65 engages with a recess 66 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 64, thereby preventing the male joint 62 from coming out of the female joint 63. When the user presses the release button 65, the engagement portion 67 comes out of the recess 66, making it possible to remove the male joint 62 from the female joint 63.

As shown in FIG. 9, a conductive plate support 68 is provided on the male joint 62 side of the connection part. The conductive plate support 68 has a pair of protrusions 69. The conductive plate support 68 is movable in the direction of the central axis of the male joint 62. A guide 70 guides the movement of the conductive plate support 68. A conductive plate 71 is attached to the conductive plate support 68. The conductive plate 71 is provided so as to cover the protrusions 69. The conductive plate 71 is connected to a lead wire 72. The conductive plate support 68 and the conductive plate 71 correspond to conductive terminal parts for electrical connection. The conductive plate support 68 is made of a resin part that has no conductivity. The conductive plate 71 is made of metal. The tip of the conductive plate 71 may be embossed to prevent poor contact with the terminal on the female joint 63 side.

The spring 73 biases the conductive plate support part 68 to the right in the figure. The spring 73 biases the conductive plate support part 68 in the direction in which the protrusion 69 protrudes. Figure 9 shows the protrusion 69 in its maximum protruding state. When the male joint part 62 is connected to the female joint part 63, the protrusion 69 is pushed back by the female joint part 63, and the conductive plate support part 68 moves leftward from the position in Figure 9. When the protrusion 69 is pushed back by the female joint part 63, the spring 73 contracts and energy is stored in the spring 73.

When the user presses the release button 65 while the male joint portion 62 and the female joint portion 63 are connected, the engagement portion 67 disengages from the recess 66, releasing the connection. When the connection is released, the spring 73 expands, and the conductive plate support portion 68 moves so that the protrusion 69 protrudes, which in turn pushes the female joint portion 63 to assist in removal. In this way, the assist mechanism applies force in the direction in which the male joint portion 62 and the female joint portion 63 separate. This allows for smooth replacement of attachments and reduces the strain on the user when replacing attachments.

7 to 9 show an example in which the male joint 62 further includes a boss 62a for restricting the range of motion of the conductive plate support 68. The boss 62a is provided so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion forming the male joint 62. In addition, a long hole 68a having a longitudinal direction in the movable direction of the conductive plate support 68 is formed in the conductive plate support 68. At least a part of the boss 62a is disposed inside the long hole 68a. Therefore, when the user presses the release button 65 to release the connection between the male joint 62 and the female joint 63, the conductive plate support 68 moves so that the protrusion 69 protrudes until the boss 62a contacts the inner wall of the long hole 68a. In other words, the boss 62a is a protrusion provided to prevent the conductive plate support 68 from jumping out.

In the above example, the assist mechanism is provided in the male joint 62. This eliminates the need to provide an assist mechanism in the female joints 11 and 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, which avoids an increase in the weight of the vacuum cleaner body 10.

The connection between the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the attachment is provided with an electrical connection that allows electrical connection. This makes it possible to transmit signals or power such as turning the vacuum cleaner on/off or turning the rotating brush on/off.

In the above example, the assist mechanism assists in removal using at least some of the components of the electrical connection. This makes it possible to configure the assist mechanism without increasing the number of components.

The maximum force exerted by the assist mechanism is hereinafter referred to as the "assist force of the assist mechanism." The assist force of the assist mechanism is a force acting in a direction to remove the male joint portion 62 from the female joint portion 63. The assist force of the assist mechanism is a force acting in a direction to move the male joint portion 62 away from the female joint portion 63. In the above example, the force of the spring 73 when the spring 73 is most compressed corresponds to the assist force of the assist mechanism. In the present disclosure, it is preferable that the assist force of the assist mechanism is 10 N or more. If the assist force of the assist mechanism is 10 N or more, it is possible to more reliably reduce the load when replacing an attachment.

In addition, in the present disclosure, it is preferable that the assist force of the assist mechanism is 20 N or less. If the assist force of the assist mechanism is 20 N or less, the resistance when connecting the male joint portion 62 to the female joint portion 63 is not too large, so the connection can be made easily.

The weight of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is typically assumed to be 1.0 kg to 2.0 kg. If the assist force of the assist mechanism is 10 N to 20 N, it will be possible to move the vacuum cleaner body 10 of such weight with the assist force.

Figure 10 is a plan view illustrating a modified example of the assist mechanism of Figure 9. The example of Figure 10 differs from the example of Figure 9 in that the conductive plate support portion 68 is divided into two parts. A spring 73 and a protrusion 69 are provided for each of the two conductive plate support portions 68.

The assist mechanism in the example shown in Figures 6 to 10 assists removal using the biasing force of the spring 73. This makes it possible to assist removal with a simple structure. The assist mechanism in the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and may be configured to assist removal using, for example, the force with which the release button 65 is pressed. In addition, the assist mechanism in the present disclosure may be configured to assist removal using the repulsive force of a magnet.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. The example in Figure 11 has a male joint 74 and a female joint 75. The male joint 74 has a fitting portion 76 that fits inside the female joint 75. A release button 77 is provided on the female joint 75 side of the connection portion. The release button 77 can rotate around an axis 78. When the male joint 74 and the female joint 75 are connected, an engagement portion 80 integrated with the release button 77 engages with a recess 79 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 76, thereby preventing the male joint 74 from slipping out of the female joint 75.

The release button 77 is biased by a spring 81 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the release button 77 is pressed. It is preferable that the force of the spring 81 is set so that the force required to press the release button 77 is 20 N or less so that pressing the release button 77 does not impose a large load.

The part that forms the release button 77 has a rib 82 that engages with the tip of the mating portion 76 of the male joint portion 74. When the release button 77 is pressed and rotates around the axis 78, the rib 82 presses against the mating portion 76 of the male joint portion 74 using the principle of leverage. This assists in the removal of the male joint portion 74 from the female joint portion 75. In this way, the force with which the release button 77 is pressed can be used to assist removal, allowing for reliable assistance with a simple structure.

In the example of FIG. 11, the rib 82 engages with the tip of the mating portion 76 of the male joint portion 74, but the rib 82 may be configured to engage with a recess or protrusion provided in another location on the male joint portion 74. Although not shown, a sealing member to prevent air leakage may be provided between the part to which the release button 77 is attached and the part to be pushed out. In the example of FIG. 11, the electrical connection portion and the assist mechanism are each independent. The example of FIG. 11 may further include an electrical connection portion not shown.

The example in FIG. 11 corresponds to an example in which an assist mechanism is provided in the female joint 75. For example, an assist mechanism such as the female joint 75 may be provided in either one or both of the female joints 11, 12 of the vacuum cleaner body 10. By providing an assist mechanism in the female joint 75, it is possible to prevent an increase in weight, number of parts, and assembly costs of the tube body 30, suction tool 20, crevice nozzle 60, etc., which are attachments having male joints.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. The example in Figure 12 has a male joint part 83 and a female joint part 84. The male joint part 83 has a fitting part 85 that fits inside the female joint part 84. A release button 86 is provided on the female joint part 84 side. The release button 86 can rotate around an axis 87. When the male joint part 83 and the female joint part 84 are connected, an engagement part 89 integrated with the release button 86 engages with a recess 88 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting part 85, thereby preventing the male joint part 83 from coming out of the female joint part 84.

The release button 86 is biased by a spring 90 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the release button 86 is pressed. It is preferable that the force of the spring 90 is set so that the force required to press the release button 86 is 20 N or less so that pressing the release button 86 does not impose a large load.

A permanent magnet 91 is attached to the male joint portion 83. A permanent magnet 92 is attached to the female joint portion 84. The permanent magnets 91 and 92 have the property of repelling each other. The part forming the release button 86 is provided with a shielding portion 93 that provides a shield between the permanent magnets 91 and 92.

When the male joint part 83 and the female joint part 84 are connected and the release button 86 is not pressed, the shielding part 93 shields the permanent magnets 91 and 92, blocking the magnetic field lines and causing no repulsive force. When the release button 86 is pressed and rotates around the axis 87, the shielding part 93 moves from between the permanent magnets 91 and 92, and the gap between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 is no longer blocked. The repulsive force between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 then assists in removing the male joint part 83 from the female joint part 84.

In the example of FIG. 12, the electrical connection unit and the assist mechanism are independent. The example of FIG. 12 may further include an electrical connection unit (not shown).

In the example of FIG. 12, a configuration in which the shielding portion 93 rotates and moves is described, but if the release button 86 is of a sliding type, the shielding portion 93 may be configured to slide and move together with the release button 86.

The assist force due to the repulsion between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 is preferably 20 N or less. If the assist force due to the repulsion between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 is 20 N or less, the resistance when attaching the male joint part 83 to the female joint part 84 can be reliably reduced. In addition, the assist force due to the repulsion between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 is preferably 10 N or more. If the assist force due to the repulsion between the permanent magnets 91 and 92 is 10 N or more, the load when replacing the attachment can be more reliably reduced.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of an assist mechanism. In the example of Figure 13, the male joint part 94 is provided with an assist part 95 and a spring 96 that biases the assist part 95. The male joint part 94 is also provided with a pair of pin-shaped conductive terminals 97 and a lead wire 98 connected to the conductive terminals 97. The assist part 95 is disposed between the pair of conductive terminals 97. In the example of Figure 13, the assist part 95 pops out due to the force of the spring 96, thereby pressing the female joint part of the mating part, thereby assisting in removal. The assist force of this assist mechanism, i.e., the force of the spring 96, is desirably 10 N or more and 20 N or less for the reasons described above.

Figure 14 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner 100 according to the second embodiment. The vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a vacuum cleaner body 101 and a support base 102. The support base 102 may have a function of charging the battery of the vacuum cleaner body 101. In Figure 14, the tube body 103 and the suction tool 104 are supported by the support base 102, and the vacuum cleaner body 101 is shown removed from the support base 102.

The male joint 106 of the tube 103 can be connected to the female joint 105 provided on the vacuum cleaner body 101. When the male joint 106 of the tube 103 is connected to the female joint 105 of the vacuum cleaner body 101, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be used as a cordless upright vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum cleaner 100 is provided with an assist mechanism that assists in removing the male joint 106 from the female joint 105. When the male joint 106 is removed from the female joint 105, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be used in a handy form that is easy to carry.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the tube body 103. As shown in Figure 15, the tube body 103 is provided with a removal button 107. When the removal button 107 is pressed with the male joint part 106 connected to the female joint part 105, the connection between the male joint part 106 and the female joint part 105 is released, and the tube body 103 is removed from the vacuum cleaner body 101.

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the support base 102 and a part of the tube body 103. As shown in Figure 16, the support base 102 is provided with a release button 108 and an interlocking mechanism 109. When the release button 108 of the support base 102 is pressed, the removal button 107 of the tube body 103 is pressed via the interlocking mechanism 109. The interlocking mechanism 109 is configured to interlock the movement of the release button 108 with the movement of the removal button 107 using, for example, a link mechanism, a cam mechanism, or the like.

In this embodiment, when the vacuum cleaner body 101 is supported on the support base 102 while connected to the tube 103, pressing the release button 108 on the support base 102 causes the removal button 107 on the tube 103 to be pressed via the interlocking mechanism 109, and the connection between the tube 103 and the vacuum cleaner body 101 is released. Then, when the male joint 106 of the tube 103 is removed from the female joint 105 of the vacuum cleaner body 101, the assist mechanism assists in the removal. Therefore, when a user wants to use the vacuum cleaner body 101 in a handheld form, the user can easily get the vacuum cleaner body 101 in a handheld form by simply pressing the release button 108 on the support base 102.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of an assist mechanism. The assist mechanism in Figure 17 has a fixed magnet 111 provided in the male joint part 112 and a rotary magnet 113 provided in the female joint part 110. The fixed magnet 111 and the rotary magnet 113 are each a permanent magnet. The rotary magnet 113 can rotate around a rotation axis 114. A release button 115 is provided in the female joint part 110. An engagement part 116 integrated with the release button 115 engages with a recess 117 formed in the male joint part 112, thereby maintaining the connection between the male joint part 112 and the female joint part 110. The release button 115 is biased by a spring 118.

When attaching the male joint part 112 to the female joint part 110, the rotational position of the rotating magnet 113 is determined so that the fixed magnet 111 and the rotating magnet 113 attract each other. Therefore, the force of attraction between the fixed magnet 111 and the rotating magnet 113 assists the attachment of the male joint part 112 to the female joint part 110, making the attachment operation easy.

When the release button 115 is pressed, the rotating magnet 113 rotates 180 degrees around the rotation axis 114. Therefore, when removing the male joint part 112 from the female joint part 110, the rotational position of the rotating magnet 113 is determined so that the fixed magnet 111 and the rotating magnet 113 repel each other. In this way, the repulsive force between the fixed magnet 111 and the rotating magnet 113 assists the operation of removing the male joint part 112 from the female joint part 110, making the removal operation easy.

Figure 18 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of an assist mechanism. The assist mechanism in Figure 18 has a fixed magnet 120 provided in the male joint part 119 and a rotary magnet 121 provided in the female joint part 110. The fixed magnet 120 and the rotary magnet 121 are each a permanent magnet. The rotary magnet 121 can rotate around a rotation axis 122. A release button 123 is provided in the female joint part 110. An engagement part 124 integrated with the release button 123 engages with a recess 125 formed in the male joint part 119, thereby maintaining the connection between the male joint part 119 and the female joint part 110. The release button 123 is biased by a spring 126.

When attaching the male joint part 119 to the female joint part 110, the rotational position of the rotating magnet 121 is determined so that the fixed magnet 120 and the rotating magnet 121 attract each other. Therefore, the force of attraction between the fixed magnet 120 and the rotating magnet 121 assists the attachment of the male joint part 119 to the female joint part 110, making the attachment operation easy.

When the release button 123 is pressed, the rotating magnet 121 rotates 180 degrees around the rotation axis 122. Therefore, when removing the male joint part 119 from the female joint part 110, the rotational position of the rotating magnet 121 is determined so that the fixed magnet 120 and the rotating magnet 121 repel each other. In this way, the repulsive force between the fixed magnet 120 and the rotating magnet 121 assists the operation of removing the male joint part 119 from the female joint part 110, making the removal operation easy.

In the examples of Figures 17 and 18, a fixed magnet is provided in the male joint and a rotating magnet is provided in the female joint, but in the present disclosure, a rotating magnet may be provided in the male joint and a fixed magnet may be provided in the female joint.

In the examples of Figures 17 and 18, the electrical connection unit and the assist mechanism are independent configurations. The examples of Figures 17 and 18 may further include an electrical connection unit (not shown).

Various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

(Appendix 1)
A vacuum cleaner body having an electric blower for suction and exhaust and a dust collecting section;
An attachment that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner body;
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
The connection portion between the vacuum cleaner body and the attachment is
a female joint portion provided on either the vacuum cleaner body or the attachment;
a male joint portion provided on the other of the vacuum cleaner body and the attachment and capable of fitting into the female joint portion;
an assist mechanism that assists in removing the male joint portion from the female joint portion;
A vacuum cleaner equipped with
(Appendix 2)
2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is provided on the male joint portion.
(Appendix 3)
2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is provided at the female joint portion.
(Appendix 4)
4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the attachment is at least one of a tube body, a handle, a suction tool for cleaning floors, and a crevice nozzle.
(Appendix 5)
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connection portion is provided with an electrical connection portion that enables electrical connection.
(Appendix 6)
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal using at least a part of the electrical connection portion.
(Appendix 7)
7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the assist force of the assist mechanism is 20 N or less.
(Appendix 8)
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the assist force of the assist mechanism is 10 N or more.
(Appendix 9)
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal by using a biasing force of a spring.
(Appendix 10)
A button operated by a user is provided,
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal by using a force with which the button is pressed.
(Appendix 11)
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal by using a repulsive force of magnets.
(Appendix 12)
a support base that supports the vacuum cleaner body to which the attachment is connected;
A release button provided on the support base;
a removal button provided on the vacuum cleaner for removing the attachment from the vacuum cleaner body;
an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the release button so that the removal button is pressed when the release button is pressed;
12. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising:
(Appendix 13)
the assist mechanism includes a fixed magnet provided in one of the male joint portion and the female joint portion, and a rotary magnet provided in the other of the male joint portion and the female joint portion,
When the male joint portion is attached to the female joint portion, the rotational position of the rotary magnet is determined so that the fixed magnet and the rotary magnet attract each other,
9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the rotational position of the rotary magnet is determined so that the fixed magnet and the rotary magnet repel each other when removing the male joint portion from the female joint portion.

1 Electric vacuum cleaner, 2 Suction tool, 3 Female joint, 10 Vacuum cleaner body, 11 Female joint, 12 Female joint, 13 First body connection terminal, 14 Second body connection terminal, 15 Housing, 15a Exhaust section, 16 Dust collection section, 17 Electric blower, 18 Secondary battery, 20 Suction tool, 21 Male joint, 22 Suction tool connection terminal, 23 Suction port body, 24 Suction port, 25 Rotary brush, 30 Tube, 31 Female joint, 32 Male joint, 33 First tube connection terminal, 34 Second tube connection terminal, 40 Handle, 41 Male joint, 42 Handle connection terminal, 43 Operation display section, 45 Grip section, 60 Gap nozzle, 61 Male joint portion, 62 Male joint portion, 62a Boss portion, 63 Female joint portion, 64 Fitting portion, 65 Release button, 66 Recessed portion, 67 Engagement portion, 68 Conductive plate support portion, 68a Long hole, 69 Projection portion, 70 Guide, 71 Conductive plate, 72 Lead wire, 73 Spring, 74 Male joint portion, 75 Female joint portion, 76 Fitting portion, 77 Release button, 78 Shaft, 79 Recessed portion, 80 Engagement portion, 81 Spring, 82 Rib, 83 Male joint portion, 84 Female joint portion, 85 Fitting portion, 86 Release button, 87 Shaft, 88 Recessed portion, 89 Engagement portion, 90 Spring, 91 permanent magnet, 92 permanent magnet, 93 shielding portion, 94 male joint portion, 95 assist part, 96 spring, 97 conductive terminal, 98 lead wire, 100 vacuum cleaner, 101 vacuum cleaner body, 102 support base, 103 tube body, 104 suction tool, 105 female joint portion, 106 male joint portion, 107 button, 108 release button, 109 interlocking mechanism, 110 female joint portion, 111 fixed magnet, 112 male joint portion, 113 rotating magnet, 114 rotating shaft, 115 release button, 116 engagement portion, 117 recess, 118 spring, 119 male joint portion, 120 fixed magnet, 121 rotating magnet, 122 Rotating shaft, 123 Release button, 124 Engagement part, 125 Recess, 126 Spring

Claims (13)

A vacuum cleaner body having an electric blower for suction and exhaust and a dust collecting section;
An attachment that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner body;
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
The connection portion between the vacuum cleaner body and the attachment is
a female joint portion provided on either the vacuum cleaner body or the attachment;
a male joint portion provided on the other of the vacuum cleaner body and the attachment and capable of fitting into the female joint portion;
an assist mechanism that assists in removing the male joint portion from the female joint portion;
A vacuum cleaner equipped with The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is provided in the male joint. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is provided in the female joint. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one of a tube body, a handle, a suction tool for cleaning floors, and a crevice nozzle as the attachment. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connection part is provided with an electrical connection part that enables electrical connection. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the assist mechanism assists in the removal using at least some of the components of the electrical connection. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assist force of the assist mechanism is 20 N or less. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assist force of the assist mechanism is 10 N or more. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal by using the biasing force of a spring. A button operated by a user is provided,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the assist mechanism assists the removal by using a force applied to the button. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assist mechanism assists in the removal using the repulsive force of magnets. a support base that supports the vacuum cleaner body to which the attachment is connected;
A release button provided on the support base;
a removal button provided on the vacuum cleaner body for removing the attachment from the vacuum cleaner body;
an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the release button so that the removal button is pressed when the release button is pressed;
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: the assist mechanism includes a fixed magnet provided in one of the male joint portion and the female joint portion, and a rotary magnet provided in the other of the male joint portion and the female joint portion,
When the male joint portion is attached to the female joint portion, the rotational position of the rotary magnet is determined so that the fixed magnet and the rotary magnet attract each other,
4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the rotational position of the rotary magnet is determined so that the fixed magnet and the rotary magnet repel each other when the male joint portion is removed from the female joint portion.

Images