JP4777145B2 - Suction port and vacuum cleaner provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a suction port body provided with a rotary cleaning body that is rotationally driven by a drive motor and scrapes up dust on a cleaning surface, and an electric vacuum cleaner including the same.

  A conventional vacuum cleaner is connected to a vacuum cleaner body provided with a dust collection chamber and an electric blower that applies suction negative pressure to the dust collection chamber, and to the dust collection chamber via a dust collection hose and an extension pipe. Some have a suction port.

  As this suction port body, a suction chamber extending left and right is provided in the suction port body, the suction opening of this suction chamber is opened at the bottom surface of the suction port body, and a rotary cleaning body extending left and right along this suction opening is sucked. Installed indoors, the left and right ends of the rotary cleaning body are rotatably held by the suction port body, and the rotary cleaning body is driven to rotate by a drive motor, and the rotary cleaning body scrapes dust on the cleaning surface. What is raised is known.

In such a suction port body, when the suction port body is pushed forward and the suction port body is moved forward, the rotary cleaning body is rotated forward (rotated in a direction to generate a traveling force toward the front side), It is also known that when the suction port body is pulled and the suction port body is moved backward, the rotary cleaning body rotates in the reverse direction (rotates in the direction that generates the traveling force toward the rear side). (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-165741

  However, in the case where the cleaning surface is a floor surface such as flooring, for example, when the rotary cleaning body is rotated backward during the backward movement operation of the suction port body (retracting), the dust on the floor surface is, for example, rice grains. In the case of sand or sand, there is a risk that this dust will be ejected from the front end of the suction port body by the rotary cleaning body.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a suction port body in which dust is not ejected from the front end of the suction port body by the rotary cleaning body when the suction port body is retracted, and a vacuum cleaner including the same. .

In order to achieve this object, a suction port body of the present invention and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the suction port body have a suction chamber, and a suction port body in which the suction opening of the suction chamber opens on the bottom surface, along the suction opening. A rotary cleaning body for lifting dust that is disposed in the suction chamber and is rotatably held by the suction port body so that dust on the cleaning surface can be scraped up, and positioned on the rear side of the suction port body A suction air passage connected to the suction chamber, a drive motor mounted on the suction port body to drive the rotary cleaning body, and a forward signal is detected by detecting forward movement of the suction port body. There is provided a moving direction detecting means for outputting a direction signal and detecting a backward movement of the suction port body and outputting a backward signal as a moving direction signal. The suction port body and the vacuum cleaner including the suction port body include floor surface type detection means for outputting a flat floor surface detection signal when a substantially flat floor surface is detected as a flat cleaning surface. In addition, the movement direction signal is such that the control means that receives the movement direction signal rotates the rotary cleaning body forward when the suction port body moves forward and reversely rotates the rotation cleaning body when the suction port body moves backward. The drive motor is driven and controlled based on the above. In addition, when the control means receives the flat floor surface detection signal and receives the backward signal, the drive motor rotates the rotary cleaning body in the forward direction.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent dust from being ejected from the front end of the suction port body by the rotary cleaning body when the suction port body is retracted.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum cleaner body of a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 includes a lower case 2, an upper case 3 attached on the rear portion of the lower case 2, and a dust collection chamber cover 4 attached on the front portion of the lower case 2 so as to be opened and closed vertically. Have.

  A dust collection chamber 5 is formed between the front portion of the lower case 2 and the dust collection chamber cover 4, and a blower chamber 6 is formed between the rear portion of the lower case 2. The dust collection chamber 5 and the blower chamber 6 are partitioned by a partition wall (not shown), and a communication path (not shown) that connects the dust collection chamber 5 and the blower chamber 6 is formed in the partition wall. Note that C is a power cord, and P is a power plug provided at the free end of the power cord C.

  Further, a hose connection port 2 a communicating with the dust collection chamber 5 is formed at the front end of the lower case 2, and a paper pack filter 7 that is a dust collection bag is disposed in the dust collection chamber 5. Is provided with an electric blower 8 for applying a suction negative pressure to the dust collection chamber 5. In addition, 8A is a suction opening of the electric blower 8. Further, a connecting cylinder 9 a provided at one end of the dust collecting hose 9 is connected to the hose connection port 2 a and the paper pack filter 7. A hand operating pipe 10 is connected to the other end of the dust collecting hose 9, and a suction port body 12 is connected to the hand operating pipe 10 via an extension pipe 11.

An operation panel 13 is provided on the local operation pipe 10. The operation panel 13 includes a switch Sa used to turn on / off a rotary cleaning body driving motor (power brush driving motor), which will be described later, provided in the suction port body 12, an ON operation of the electric blower 8, and its suction air volume. The switch Sb used for switching between “weak” and “medium”, the switch Sc for turning on the electric blower 8 to make the suction air flow “strong”, and the switch Sd used for turning off the electric blower 8 are provided. ing.
(Suction port)
As shown in FIG. 2, the suction port body 12 includes a suction port main body 14 extending in the left-right direction, and a rotary tube 12 a having an axial line attached to the center in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the suction port main body 14. Have The rotary tube 12a is attached to the suction port body 14 so as to be rotatable around an axis. Moreover, the suction inlet 12 has the connection pipe 15 hold | maintained at the rotating tube 12a so that tilting operation is possible.

  The suction port body 14 has a lower case 14a and an upper case 14b, and a suction chamber 16 (see FIG. 4) extending in the left-right direction is formed in the front portion of the suction port body 14 as shown in FIG. The suction chamber 16 communicates with the connection pipe 15 via the suction air passage 16b shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the connection pipe 15 is detachably fitted and connected to the distal end portion of the extension pipe 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the suction opening 16 a of the suction chamber 16 is opened at the bottom surface of the suction port body 14. In the suction chamber 16, a rotary cleaning body 17 extending along the suction opening 16a is disposed. The rotary cleaning body 17 includes a rotary shaft 18 and a plurality of brush bristles 19 projecting from the rotary shaft 18 in a spiral band shape.

  The rotating shaft 18 is rotatably held at both ends of the suction port body 14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a drive motor 20 for driving the rotary cleaning body is mounted in the rear portion of the suction port body 14. An output shaft (not shown) of the drive motor 20 is linked to the rotary shaft 18 of the rotary cleaning body 17 via a timing belt 21. Since a known configuration can be adopted for this configuration, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Further, a notch 14c that opens to the front side is formed in the front side portion of the upper case 14b, and the notch 14c is closed by a movable cover 14d. As shown in FIG. 4, the movable bar 14d is attached so as to be rotatable within a predetermined range around the support shaft 14e at the upper edge. In addition, the movable cover 14d is urged to rotate forward by a spring (not shown) so that the movable cover 14d does not normally come into contact with the brush bristles 19, and the spring force of the spring (not shown) when hitting the wall W or the like. Against this, as indicated by the two-dot chain line, the rotary cleaning body 17 is rotated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, rear wheels 22 and 22 are respectively attached to the rear end portion of the lower case 14a so as to be positioned on both sides of the rotary tube 12a, and a portion of the lower case 14a near the rear edge of the suction opening 16a. The front wheels 23 and 23 are respectively attached to the left and right sides.

  A moving direction detecting means 24 is mounted in the suction port body 14. As the moving direction detecting means 24, a photodetection sensor having a rotating member (not shown) and a photoelectric detecting means (not shown) for detecting the rotating direction of the rotating member can be used. This rotating member (not shown) is interlocked with one of the front wheels 23 and 23.

In this case, a slit extending in the radial direction may be provided on a rotating disk as a rotating member, and the moving direction of the slit may be detected by the light emitting element and the light receiving element. Further, instead of the slit, a linear reflecting surface may be provided on the rotating disk, and the moving direction of the reflecting surface may be detected. For such a configuration, for example, a well-known technique used in a rotary encoder or the like can be adopted, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-165741 can also be employed in the movement direction detecting means 24.
(Control circuit)
Further, the above-described operation panel (hand operation means) 13 is connected to the control means 25 of FIG. In addition, when the switch Sb is turned on, the control means 25 drives the electric blower 8 and alternately switches the suction air volume of the electric blower 8 between “weak” and “medium” each time the switch Sb is pressed. . Further, when the switch Sc is turned on, the control means 25 drives the electric blower 8 and sets the suction air amount of the electric blower 8 to “strong”.

  Further, when the electric blower 8 is driven by operating the switches Sb and Sc, the control means (arithmetic control circuit) 25 presses the switch Sa to turn it on, and the control means (arithmetic control circuit) 26 of the suction port body 12 The power supply circuit 27 is operated. When the power supply circuit 26 operates, the control means 26 starts driving control of the driving motor 20.

  In addition, a movement direction signal from the movement direction detection unit 24 is input to the control unit 26. The movement direction detection means 24 outputs a forward signal as a movement direction signal when the rotation of the front wheel 23 is detected when the suction port body 14 is moved to the front side, while the suction port body 14 moves to the rear side. When the rotation of the front wheel 23 when operated (retracts) is detected, a reverse signal is output as a movement direction signal.

  In addition, at the initial stage of operation, the control means 26 rotates the drive motor 20 forward via the thyristor 28 and rotates the rotary cleaning body 17 forward via the timing belt (counterclockwise as indicated by arrow A1 in FIG. 4). Rotation). Further, the control means 26 rotates the drive motor 20 in the forward direction even when an advanced signal is received from the movement direction detection means 24. This forward rotation of the rotary cleaning body 17 causes the suction port body 14 to generate a moving force in the forward direction.

  Then, when the floor surface type detection unit 29 detects a flat floor surface such as flooring as a cleaning surface in the initial stage of operation, the control unit 26 rotates the drive motor 20 in the forward direction even if it receives a backward signal from the movement direction detection unit 24. The state is maintained and the drive motor 20 is not rotated reversely. At this time, the control means 26 decreases the rotation of the drive motor 20 and decreases the rotational speed of the rotary cleaning body 17.

  Thereby, when the cleaning surface is a flat floor surface, the rotary cleaning body 17 maintains the normal rotation state even if the suction port body 14 is pulled backward.

  In addition, when the floor surface type detection unit 29 detects a cleaning surface such as a carpet in the initial stage of operation, the control unit 26 rotates the drive motor 20 in the reverse direction when receiving a backward signal from the movement direction detection unit 24 to perform rotational cleaning. The body 17 is reversely rotated in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow A2 in FIG. The reverse rotation of the rotary cleaning body 17 causes the suction port body 14 to generate a moving force in the backward direction.

  As the floor surface type detection means 29, a current detection circuit for detecting a current flowing through the drive motor 20 is used. In addition, if the detection current by the floor type detection means 29 is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the control means 26 receives the detection current as a flat floor detection signal and determines that the cleaning surface is a flat floor surface such as flooring. If the current detected by the floor surface type detection means 29 is larger than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the cleaning surface is a carpet or the like.

  Next, the operation of the vacuum cleaner having such a configuration will be described.

  In such a configuration, when the switch Sb or the switch Sc is turned on, the control means 25 drives the electric blower 8 and causes the suction negative pressure of the electric blower 8 to act on the dust collection chamber 5. This suction negative pressure acts on the suction chamber 16 of the suction port body 12 through the paper pack filter 7, the dust collecting hose 9, the hand operation pipe 10 and the extension pipe 11.

  The suction negative pressure causes the dust on the cleaning surface to be sucked into the suction chamber 16 together with air through the suction opening 16a. The air containing dust is sucked into the paper pack filter 7 through the extension pipe 11, the hand operation pipe 10 and the dust collecting hose 9, and passes through the paper pack filter 7. At this time, dust is captured by the paper pack filter 7.

  The air that has passed through the paper pack filter 7 is sucked into the electric blower 8 from the suction opening 8A, cooled, and then discharged to the outside of the electric blower 8, and is discharged from the exhaust port (not shown) of the cleaner body 1 to the atmosphere. To be discharged.

  In such a driving state of the electric blower 8, when the switch Sa is pressed to drive the drive motor 20, the control unit 26 starts a control operation of the drive motor 20 according to the flowchart of FIG.

Step S1
In step S <b> 1, when the control unit 26 receives a forward signal from the moving direction detection unit 24 in the initial stage of operation, the control unit 26 rotates the drive motor 20 forward via the thyristor 28 to rotate the rotary cleaning body 17 forward. At this time, rotational resistance is generated between the rotary cleaning body 17 and the cleaning surface. This rotational resistance is small when the cleaning surface is a flat floor surface (flooring) and large when the cleaning surface is a carpet or the like. Since the load acting on the drive motor 20 is different due to this rotational resistance, the current flowing through the drive motor 20 varies depending on the type of cleaning surface (flooring or carpet). Therefore, the current flowing through the drive motor 20 is detected as the floor type. It detects by the means 29 and transfers to step S2.
Step S2
In this step S2, the control means 26 determines whether or not the cleaning surface is a floor surface (wood floor) such as a flat flooring from whether or not the current detected by the floor surface type detection means 29 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Judging.

  When the control means 26 determines that the current detected by the floor surface type detection means 29 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the control means 26 receives this detection current as a flat floor surface detection signal, such as flooring where the cleaning surface is flat. It judges that it is a floor surface (wood floor etc.), and transfers to step S3.

In addition, when the control unit 26 determines that the current detected by the floor type detection unit 29 is greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 26 determines that the cleaning surface is a carpet or the like, and proceeds to step S7.
Step S3
In step S2, assuming that the cleaning surface is a flat floor surface (wood floor) such as flooring, when moving to step S3, the movement direction signal inputted from the movement direction detection means 24 to the control means 26 is a forward signal. Regardless of whether the signal is a reverse signal or not, the control means 26 controls the drive motor 20 to rotate forward so that the rotary cleaning body 17 rotates normally, and the process proceeds to step S4.
Step S4
In step S4, the control means 26 determines whether or not the suction port body 14 is retracted. That is, the control unit 26 determines whether or not the movement direction signal input from the movement direction detection unit 24 is a backward signal.

  If the movement direction signal is not a reverse signal, the control means 26 returns to step S3 with NO and loops. In a state in which the advance signal is input from the moving direction detection unit 24 to the control unit 26, the rotary cleaning body 17 is rotated forward at a normal rotation speed while the suction port body 14 is moved forward, and the cleaning surface is flat. Dust on floors such as flooring will be scraped up.

Moreover, the control means 26 transfers to step S5 by YES, when a moving direction signal is a backward signal.
Step S5
In this step S5, the control means 26 is a floor surface (wood floor) such as a flooring with a flat cleaning surface, and the suction port body 14 is retracted, so that the rotational speed of the drive motor 20 is reduced, The rotational speed of the rotary cleaning body 17 is reduced, and the process proceeds to step S6.

  As a result, the rotary cleaning body 17 rotates forward while the suction port body 14 is retracted, and the dust on the cleaning surface is scraped back (reverse direction), so that there is dust such as rice grains on the cleaning surface. However, the dust is prevented from being blown out to the front side of the suction inlet main body 14.

Moreover, even if the forward rotation of the rotary cleaning body 17 applies a moving force in the forward direction to the suction port main body 14 when the suction port main body 14 is retracted, the rotational speed of the rotary cleaning body 17 is reduced. It can be reduced that the forward force generated by the forward rotation of the rotary cleaning body 17 becomes a resistance when the suction port body 14 is moved backward.
Step S6
In step S6, the control means 26 determines whether or not the switch Sa has been pressed. If the switch Sa is pressed, the control unit 26 ends. If not, the control unit 26 returns to step S2 and loops.
Step S7
When it is determined in step S2 that the cleaning surface is a carpet or the like and the process proceeds to step S7, the control unit 26 determines whether or not the movement direction signal input from the movement direction detection unit 24 is a forward signal. . When the movement direction signal is a forward signal, the process proceeds to step S8, and when the movement direction signal is a backward signal, the process proceeds to step S9.
Step S8
In step S8, the control unit 26 rotates the drive motor 20 in the normal direction to rotate the rotary cleaning body 17 in the normal direction, and the process proceeds to step S6.
Step S9
In this step S9, the control means 26 reversely rotates the drive motor 20, reversely rotates the rotary cleaning body 17, and proceeds to step S6.

  In this way, the dust on the cleaning surface is scraped up by the rotary cleaning body 17. Then, the dust thus picked up is sucked into the suction chamber 16 as described above, and finally captured by the paper pack filter 7.

  As described above, the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the suction port main body 14 having the suction chamber 16 and the suction opening 16a of the suction chamber 16 opening on the bottom surface, and along the suction opening 16a. And a rotary cleaning body 17 for scooping up dust, both ends of which are rotatably held by the suction port body 14 so that dust on the cleaning surface can be scraped up, and the suction port body 14. And a drive motor 20 that rotates the rotary cleaning body 17 and detects the forward movement of the suction port body 14, outputs a forward signal as a movement direction signal, and moves backward of the suction port body 14. The moving direction detecting means 24 is provided for detecting the movement and outputting a backward signal as a moving direction signal. Moreover, the suction inlet 12 is provided with the floor surface type detection means 29 which outputs a flat floor surface detection signal, when a substantially flat floor surface is detected as a flat cleaning surface. Further, the control means 26 that receives the movement direction signal rotates the rotary cleaning body 17 forward when the suction port body 14 moves forward and reversely rotates the rotary cleaning body 17 when the suction port body 14 moves backward. The drive motor 20 is driven and controlled based on the movement direction signal. Moreover, the control means 26 rotates the rotary cleaning body 17 in the forward direction by the drive motor 20 when the flat floor surface detection signal is received and the backward signal is received.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent dust from being ejected from the front end of the suction port body 14 by the rotary cleaning body 17 when the suction port body 14 is retracted.

  In addition, the suction port body control means 26 according to the embodiment of the present invention receives the flat floor surface detection signal, and when the reverse signal is received, the rotation cleaning body 17 by the drive motor 20 is correctly controlled. The number of rotations is reduced. According to this configuration, dust can be prevented from being ejected from the front end of the suction port body 14 by the rotary cleaning body 17 when the suction port body 14 is retracted, and the reverse resistance of the suction port body 14 when retreating is reduced. While reducing, dust can be scraped up and sucked into the suction chamber 16.

  In the above example, the rotation of the drive motor 20 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 18 via the timing belt 21. However, the rotation of the drive motor 20 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 18 through a gear transmission mechanism (a series of operations). It may be transmitted via a gear).

It is a schematic perspective view of a vacuum cleaner provided with the suction inlet concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of the suction inlet body of FIG. It is a bottom view of the suction inlet body of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in alignment with the BB line of FIG. It is a control circuit diagram of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining control of the drive motor of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

12 ... Suction port body 14 ... Suction port body 16 ... Suction chamber 16a ... Suction opening 17 ... Rotating cleaning body 20 ... Drive motor 24 ... Moving direction detection means 26 ... .Control means 29 ... Floor surface type detection means

Claims (4)

A suction port body having a suction chamber and a suction opening of the suction chamber opening on a bottom surface;
A rotary cleaning body for dust cleaning disposed in the suction chamber along the suction opening and having both ends rotatably supported by the suction port body so as to be able to scrape dust on the cleaning surface;
A suction air passage located on the rear side of the suction port body and connected to the suction chamber;
A drive motor that is mounted on the suction port body and rotationally drives the rotary cleaning body;
A moving direction detecting means for detecting a forward movement of the suction port body and outputting a forward signal as a moving direction signal, and detecting a backward movement of the suction port body and outputting a backward signal as a moving direction signal; ,
And a floor type detection means for outputting a flat floor surface detection signal when substantially detected a flat floor surface as a flat cleaning surface,
Based on the movement direction signal, the control means that receives the movement direction signal rotates the rotary cleaning body forward when the suction port body moves forward and reversely rotates the rotary cleaning body when the suction port body moves backward. A suction port body, wherein the drive motor is driven and controlled, and the rotary cleaning body is rotated forward by the drive motor when the flat floor surface detection signal is received and the reverse signal is received. . The suction port body has a notch that opens on the front side of the suction chamber,
The suction port body according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that is rotatable between a position that is located in the notch and is separated from the position that is separated from the rotary cleaning body. The control means according to claim 2, characterized in that to reduce the rotational speed of the forward rotation of the rotary cleaning body according to the drive motor when receiving said backward signal the a case of receiving a flat floor surface detection signal The suction inlet described in 1. A vacuum cleaner comprising the suction port according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .

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