JP3258892B2 - Cleaner with check valve at suction port - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaner provided with a check valve at a suction port of a dust case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cleaner provided with a check valve at a suction port is:
Leakage of dust and the like sucked into the dust case can be prevented.
The check valve is elastically deformed and is opened by passing air when sucking air into the dust case. When not inhaling the air, restore the original shape and close the intake port. The check valve has a valve element that is opened and closed by air disposed at an inner open end of a suction port. Since the valve body is elastically deformed and closes the suction port, the valve body is made of a sheet material that can be elastically deformed like a rubber-like elastic body.

[0003] The valve body is fixed at a position to close the inner open end of the suction port when air is not sucked. The structure in which the valve body is fixed to the inner open end of the suction port is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-1329.
No. 56 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-8849. In the cleaners described in these publications, as shown in FIG. 1, a holding portion 3 for fixing a valve body 2A of a check valve 2 is provided at an inner opening end 1A of a suction port 1. Valve body 2A
Is screwed and fixed to the holding portion 3 integrally formed with the case.

[0004]

The cleaner shown in FIG. 1 has a drawback in that the valve body 2A is screwed to the holding portion 3 and it takes time to assemble the check valve 2. In addition, suction port 1
Is a long rectangle horizontally, it takes more time to screw the valve body 2A. This is because the valve body 2A that closes the elongated rectangular suction port 1 is elongated horizontally, and therefore, it is necessary to screw at least two places to the holding portion 3 with screws. Many portable cleaners have an elongated suction port. In addition, the dust case of the cleaner considers molding efficiency and assembly efficiency,
When molded with plastic, there are many cases where the shape is divided vertically. The plastic dust case molded in this manner is connected by screwing. In the dust case having this structure, it is necessary to screw two portions of the valve body to both dust cases in a state where the divided and formed dust cases are connected. In the connected dust case, the valve body is screwed to the inner part, which makes the mounting of the valve body more difficult, and the assembly takes time. Also, it is difficult to accurately fix the valve body at a fixed position.

A first object of the present invention is to solve this drawback, and an important object of the present invention is to determine a valve element of a check valve simply, easily and accurately. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaner having a check valve at a suction port which can be disposed at a position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the cleaner provided with the suction port 1 by integrally forming the suction cylinder 1B with the dust case 5 has a useless isolation space 4 above the suction port 1. No dust is stored in the isolation space 4. This is because dust sucked into the dust case 5 from the suction port 1 is accelerated in the axial direction of the suction cylinder and sucked into the dust case 5. Although the isolation space 4 is not effectively used as a storage part for the inhaled dust, there is a disadvantage that a part of the dust in the dust case 5 moves and the inside becomes dirty. If the isolation space is contaminated, extra work is required because the dust is removed from the dust case when the dust is removed from the dust case. When forming the dust case, the isolation space can be closed by integrally forming the closing wall. However, in order to close the isolation space, it is necessary to specially form the closing wall.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback, that is, the isolation space is closed by a clamping plate provided with the valve element at the inner opening end of the suction port, and dust enters the isolation space. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner provided with a check valve at a suction port for preventing contamination.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaner provided with a check valve in a suction port, wherein the suction port is opened in a dust case. A check valve 2 that opens in a direction in which air is sucked into the dust case 5 is provided at an inner open end 1A of the suction port 1. The check valve 2 includes an elastically deformable valve body 2A disposed at an inner open end 1A of the suction port 1. The valve body 2 </ b> A is configured to be opened by air drawn into the dust case 5 from the suction port 1.

Further, the cleaner according to the present invention comprises a check valve 2
Is composed of a valve body 2A and a sandwiching plate 2B that fixes the valve body 2A. On the other hand, inside the dust case 5, there is provided a fitting portion 6 for fixing the holding plate 2B in place. The holding plate 2B is set on the fitting portion 6 of the dust case 5 and is mounted at a fixed position. The valve body 2A of the check valve 2 is attached to the inside opening end 1A of the suction port 1 via a sandwiching plate 2B disposed at a fixed position of the dust case 5.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaner provided with a check valve at the suction port.
It consists of. The suction cylinder 1B protrudes into the dust case 5 and forms an isolation space 4 in a part of the dust case 5. The sandwiching plate 2B is disposed at a position that closes the isolation space 4, and the opening of the isolation space 4 is closed by the sandwiching plate 2B.

Further, a cleaner provided with a check valve at the suction port according to a third aspect of the present invention is provided with a clamping plate 2B.
Is detachably attached to the dust case 5. The detachable holding plate 2B has a feature that the detachable space 4 can be easily cleaned by removing the dust from the dust case 5 when removing and cleaning the dust.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the following examples illustrate a cleaner for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the cleaner as follows.

Further, in this specification, in order to make it easy to understand the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments will be referred to as “claims” and “ In the column of “means”. However, the members described in the claims are not limited to the members of the embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a portable cleaner driven by a battery. The cleaner shown in FIG.
The dust case 5 is detachably attached to the tip of the main body case 7. The main body case 7 includes a rechargeable battery, a motor 8 driven by the battery, and a fan (not shown) fixed to a rotating shaft of the motor 8 to allow the dust case 5 to suck air from the suction port 1. , And a switch 9 for interrupting the connection between the motor 8 and the battery.

The main body case 7 and the dust case 5 are molded products of plastic and are formed in a vertically divided shape. In FIG. 2, one vertically divided dust case 5 is removed. Vertically split main body case 7 and dust case 5
Are connected using a clamp structure. The main body case 7 has a fan suction passage opened at the tip end surface. An air-permeable plastic foam (not shown) is provided in the opening. The plastic foam filters the air and allows the fan to draw it.

A filter 10 for collecting dust is mounted on the front surface of the suction passage. The filter 10 is obtained by stretching a filter material on a core material. The core material is made of a soft plastic that is arranged so that the filter medium is not deformed by the negative pressure of the fan and can be deformed along the inner surface when the filter 10 is mounted on the dust case 5. The filter medium is a sheet material through which air passes but dust does not. The core has a ring portion that is in close contact with the opening and a bone portion that prevents deformation of the filter medium, which are integrally formed of plastic. The ring portion is formed in a ring shape along the inner surface of the dust case 5 and in close contact with the front surface of the suction passage. The bone part is formed integrally with the ring part, and is formed in a linear shape along the inner surface of the filter medium in order to prevent deformation of the filter medium. Filter materials are non-woven fabric, cloth,
A breathable sheet of paper, plastic foam, or the like, which is airtightly adhered to the ring of the core material. The filter 10 shown in the drawing has a shape protruding from the suction passage of the fan into the dust case 5. The filter 10 is mounted on the dust case 5 so as to be detachable. When the fan forcibly exhausts the air in the dust case 5 from the suction passage, the ring portion of the filter 10 is adsorbed to the front end surface of the suction passage, and the air in the dust case 5 passes through the filter medium of the filter 10 and is removed from the suction passage. Inhaled. The air that has passed through the filter 10 further passes through the plastic foam and is sucked into the fan.

The dust case 5 has an opening 1 for sucking dust together with air. The suction port 1 is a suction cylinder 1B integrally formed with the dust case 5. Suction cylinder 1B
Protrudes into the dust case 5 and
A separation space 4 is formed in a part of.

A check valve 2 that opens only in a direction in which air is sucked into the dust case 5 is provided at an inner open end 1A of the suction port 1.
Is provided. The check valve 2 is composed of a valve body 2A and a holding plate 2
B is provided. The valve body 2A is a thin sheet that is elastically deformable and is disposed at the inner opening end 1A of the suction port 1. The clamping plate 2B arranges the valve element 2A at a fixed position of the dust case 5. The valve body 2 </ b> A is elastically deformed by the air drawn into the dust case 5 from the suction port 1 by the fan, and is opened. When the rotation of the fan is stopped, the valve body 2A is restored, closes the inner opening end 1A of the suction port 1, and prevents the dust collected in the dust case 5 from leaking outside.

The valve body 2A elastically deforms to open and close the inner opening end 1A of the suction port 1. Therefore, the valve body 2A is made of a rubber-like elastic body that can be elastically deformed, for example, natural or synthetic rubber, or a soft plastic such as urethane that is soft and elastically deformable. The valve body 2A has a thin sheet shape in order to reduce the resistance of the air passing through the suction port 1, that is, to open the air stream without difficulty.

The valve element 2A shown in FIG. 5 includes a closing part 2a for closing the inner opening end 1A of the suction port 1, a fixing part 2b connected to the clamping plate 2B, and a fixing part 2b and the closing part 2a. And a connecting portion 2c to be connected. The connecting portion 2c is made narrow and flexible so as to be easily deformed freely. The fixing portion 2b is provided with a through hole 11 through which the pin 12 of the holding plate 2B is inserted so as to be held at a fixed position of the holding plate 2B. Plate 2B sandwiched between through holes 11
When the pin 12 is inserted, the valve body 2A is fixed to a fixed position of the holding plate 2B. The closing portion 2a is slightly larger than the outer shape of the inner opening end 1A of the suction port 1. This is for surely closing the inner open end 1A of the suction port 1.

The sandwiching plate 2B is manufactured by molding a hard plastic such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, and vinyl chloride. FIG. 6 shows a state where the holding plate 2B is opened, and FIG. 7 shows a state where the valve body 2A is held. FIG. 8 is a solid line showing a state in which the valve body 2A is sandwiched and a state opened with a chain line.

The holding plate 2B shown in these figures
The plate members 14 are connected by a hinge 13. The entire hinge portion 13 and the plate member 14 are integrally formed of plastic. The hinge portion 13 is formed thin so that it can be bent when the valve body 2A is clamped. The plate member 14 is made of the valve body 2A.
, And is fitted into the fitting portion 6 of the dust case 5 and held in a fixed position, and is formed in a rectangular shape. One plate 14 is formed integrally with a pin 12 for holding the valve body 2A at a fixed position, and has a hole 15 on the other side through which the pin 12 can be inserted.

Further, the plate member 14 has a hook-shaped engaging piece 16 on one side so that the valve body 2A can be sandwiched and connected to each other.
And the locking hole 1 into which the locking piece 16 is inserted and locked.
7 is open. Furthermore, the clamping plate 2B is
When the air is sucked into the dust case 5, one of the plate members 1 is deformed so that the sandwiched valve body 2A can be deformed smoothly.
4 is provided with a cutout 18. The resection part 18 is
Is provided on the plate member 14 on the side where the valve body 2A is curved when opening.

The holding plate 2B having this structure holds the valve element 2A as described below. With the plate member 14 opened, the through hole 11 of the valve body 2A is inserted into the pin 12, and the valve body 2A is mounted in a fixed position. In this state, the plate 14 is closed, and the locking pieces 16 are inserted into the locking holes 17. When the locking piece 16 is caught by the locking hole 17, the plate 1
4 will not open. For this reason, the valve body 2A is held between the two plate members 14 in a fixed position.

The holding plate 2B having the above structure has a feature that the valve body 2A can be easily held by bending the hinge portion 13. Further, the sandwiched valve body 2A can be easily removed. However, the cleaner of the present invention does not specify the structure of the sandwiching plate 2B as the above.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show a clamping plate 2B having another structure. The clamping plate 2B shown in these figures is
The valve body 2A is sandwiched and held between two plate members 14 having the same shape. The two plate members 14 are separately formed of plastic as separate shapes. As the plastic for forming the plate member 14, the same plastic as that of the sandwiching plate 2B having the structure shown in FIG. 6 is used. The plate member 14 integrally forms the pin 12 to be inserted into the through hole 11 of the valve body 2A. further,
The pin 12 is inserted into the press-fit hole 2 for connecting the plate 14.
2 is also provided. Further, cutouts 18 are provided on both upper and lower sides. Furthermore, in order to easily connect the two plate members 14, the locking pieces 16 are integrally formed. The locking piece 16
The other plate member 14 is formed in a hook shape to hook the side edge of the cutout portion 18. The locking piece 16 is connected to the valve 2A connecting portion 2.
It is provided at a position where it can be inserted into the slit c.

The holding plate 2B having this structure holds the valve body 2A as described below. As shown in FIG. 9, the valve body 2A is set on one plate 14. The valve body 2A is configured such that the through hole 11 is
Insert 2 and set it in place. As shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 11, the two plate members 14 are connected with the valve body 2A sandwiched therebetween. Insert the pin 12 into the press-fit hole 22
And the locking pieces 16 are connected to each other by hooking the side edges of the cutout portion 18 of the other plate member 14 with each other. In this state, the two plate members 14 are connected to each other while holding the valve body 2A at a fixed position.

In this state, the holding plate 2B holding the valve body 2A can easily hold and fix the valve body 2A, and the plate member 14 can be separated to easily remove the valve body 2A. . However, the sandwiching plate 2B, which sandwiches the valve body 2A with the plate member 14, can be connected in a state where the plate member 14 is adhered or welded while the valve body 2A is sandwiched, and is not opened by being welded. The pinching plate 2B shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 can also connect the two plate members 14 by welding the tips of the pins 12.

The clamping plate 2B to which the valve element 2A is fixed is
The check valve 2 is disposed at a fixed position of the dust case 5 and is provided at an inner open end 1A of the suction port 1. Dust case 5
Inside thereof, a fitting portion 6 for fixing the holding plate 2B at a fixed position is provided. In the dust case 5 shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5, the fitting portion 6 of the clamping plate 2B is formed by a pair of support rods 19 having a concave portion. The support rod 19 protrudes from the inner surface of the dust case 5 and is formed integrally with the dust case 5. The concave portion of the support rod 19
It is formed in a slit shape having an inner width substantially equal to the width in which the holding plate 2B can be fitted, in other words, the thickness of the holding plate 2B. The holding plate 2B is fitted into the slit-shaped recess, and the holding plate 2B is
At 9 it is mounted in place.

The holding plate 2B is used together with a lid for closing the opening of the isolation space 4 formed in the dust case 5. Therefore, the support rod 19 for fixing the sandwiching plate 2B is provided in the opening of the isolation space 4 as shown in FIG. Further, in the dust case 5 in this figure, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a rib 20 is integrally formed along the upper edge of the sandwiching plate 2B. The rib 20
The gap between the sandwiching plate 2B and the inner surface of the dust case 5 is closed, and the opening of the isolation space 4 is closed so that there is no gap.

Further, the dust case 5 shown in FIGS.
The guide groove 21 extends along the upper edge of the rear edge of the suction cylinder 1B.
Is molded. On the lower edge of the holding plate 2B, a ridge 25 that can be guided in the guide groove 21 is formed. This structure has a feature that the ridge 25 of the sandwiching plate 2B is guided to the guide groove 21 so that the sandwiching plate 2B can be held at an accurate position without displacement. Furthermore, as a structure in which there is no gap between the suction cylinder 1B and the sandwiching plate 2B, there is a feature that the opening of the isolation space 4 can be closed without a gap.

The dust case 5 having the above-described structure includes the fitting portion 6
The plate 2B is guided and connected to each other. For example, the dust case 5 can be connected by screwing to a column integrally formed. When the dust case 5 having this structure is disassembled by removing the screws, the holding plate 2B is detached from the dust case 5, and the isolated space 4 can be cleaned cleanly.

The above-described dust case 5 includes a support rod 19
Form the fitting portion 6 of the clamping plate 2B. However,
The cleaner of the present invention does not specify the fitting portion of the clamping plate to the support rod. The fitting portion may be any structure capable of fitting the holding plate and fixing it in a fixed position, for example, a structure in which a concave portion into which the end of the holding plate can be fitted is formed on the inner surface of the dust case (not shown). it can.

[0034]

The cleaner of the present invention has a feature that the check valve can be easily and easily mounted at a precise position. That is, the cleaner of the present invention comprises a check valve comprising a valve body and a holding plate, and further holding the valve body by holding it on the holding plate, and attaching the holding plate to a fitting portion of the dust case. This is because it is set in the fixed position. The sandwiching plate sandwiches and holds the valve body in a process prior to being mounted on the dust case. Such an assembling process can assemble the valve element very efficiently as compared with a conventional method such as fixing the valve element by screwing it inside the dust case. When the dust plate is assembled, the clamping plate on which the valve body is mounted is set on the fitting portion and easily mounted at a correct position.

Further, in the cleaner according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the holding plate of the check valve is used together with the lid for closing the opening of the isolation space formed in the dust case, the isolation space is closed with a simple structure. There are features that can be done. The cleaner in which the isolation space is closed can prevent dust sucked into the dust case from polluting the isolation space.

Further, like the cleaner of claim 3,
By mounting the holding plate in a detachable manner, the holding plate can be removed, and cleaning, maintenance, and repair of the check valve can be easily performed. Another feature is that even if the isolation space becomes dirty, it can be easily and cleanly cleaned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional cleaner having a check valve at a suction port.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an embodiment of the cleaner of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the tip of the dust case of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the dust case of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a dust case of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2;

6 is a front view showing a state in which a holding plate of a check valve of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2 is opened.

7 is a front view showing a state in which a clamping plate of a check valve of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2 is closed.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in which a holding plate of a check valve of the cleaner shown in FIG. 2 is closed.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a state in which a valve body is mounted on a plate member of a check valve having another structure used in the cleaner of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the valve body is clamped by the clamping plate of the check valve shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which the valve body is clamped by the clamping plate of the check valve shown in FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inlet 1A ... Inside open end 1B ... Suction cylinder 2 ... Check valve 2A ... Valve 2B ... Clamping plate 2a ... Closure part 2b ... Fixed part 2c ... Connection part 3 ... Holding part 4 ... Isolation space 5 ... Dust Case 6 Fitting part 7 Body case 8 Motor 9 Switch 10 Filter 11 Through hole 12 Pin 13 Hinge part 14 Plate material 15 Hole 16 Locking piece 17 Locking hole 18 Cutting part 19 ... Support rod 20 ... Rib 21 ... Guide groove 22 ... Press-fit hole 25 ... Protrusion

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An intake port (1) is opened in the dust case (5), and an inside open end of the dust case (5) of the intake port (1).
(1A) is provided with a check valve (2) that opens in a direction in which air is sucked into the dust case (5), and the check valve (2)
Equipped with an elastically deformable valve (2A) disposed at the inner open end (1A) of the inlet (1), the valve (2A) sucks into the dust case (5) from the inlet (1) The check valve (2) is provided with a holding plate (2B) that holds the valve element (2A) therebetween, and the dust case (5) ) Is provided with a fitting portion (6) for fixing the holding plate (2B) in place and fixing the holding plate (2B) to the dust case (5).
It is set in the fitting part (6) of and is mounted in a fixed position,
A cleaner provided with a check valve at a suction port in which a valve body (2A) of a check valve (2) is disposed at an inner open end (1A) of the suction port (1) via the sandwiching plate (2B). . The suction port (1) is a suction cylinder (1B) integrally formed of plastic with a dust case (5).
(1B) protrudes into the dust case (5) and forms an isolation space (4) in a part of the dust case (5). 2. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction port is provided with a check valve, wherein the opening of the isolation space is closed by the holding plate. 3. The suction port according to claim 1, wherein the clamping plate (2B) is detachably attached to the dust case (5).
(1) Cleaner with check valve.