JP5666849B2 - Dust separator and vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments according to the present invention relate to a dust separating and collecting container and a vacuum cleaner.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a centrifugal vacuum cleaner including a cylindrical container main body and a suction pipe that is provided on a side surface of the container main body and generates a swirling flow along the inner periphery of the container main body is known. The centrifugal vacuum cleaner sucks dust together with air, centrifuges air and dust by a swirling flow generated in the container body, and accumulates the separated dust in the container body.

  The separated air is exhausted from the central part of the swirl flow vortex, that is, from the central part of the container main body in any direction of the central line.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-155239

  A conventional vacuum cleaner, in particular, a cylindrical container body that generates a swirling flow to centrifuge dust-containing air and at the same time accumulates the separated dust, There is no member that clearly separates the portion (space) for performing centrifugal separation and the portion (space) for accumulating dust. In such a conventional vacuum cleaner, the swirl flow generated in the portion where centrifugal separation of the dust-containing air is guided to the portion where dust is accumulated together with dust, and the dust is gradually collected and accumulated by this swirl flow. To do.

  However, when dust is put on a swirl flow and collected in a lump, it is extremely difficult to increase the density of the dust collected in the lump, and only a fluffy lump can be formed without being compacted. A large amount of dust could not be accumulated in the part (space) where

  Therefore, the present invention includes a cylindrical container body, and generates dust in the container body to perform centrifugal separation of dust-containing air, and at the same time accumulates the separated dust, A dust separation and collection container and a vacuum cleaner that collect a large amount of dust by increasing the density of the dust are proposed.

In order to solve the above problems, a dust separating and collecting container according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a bottomed cylindrical container main body and a side wall of the container main body so as to be along the inner peripheral surface of the container main body. A suction pipe for guiding air; a discharge pipe connected to a side wall of the container body with one bottom side of the container body from the suction pipe; and a partition between the suction pipe and the discharge pipe A partition wall having a first opening substantially concentric with the main body, and a cylindrical shape substantially concentric with the container main body, accommodated in the container main body, facing the suction pipe, and provided in the first opening A filter portion and a bottomed cylindrical shape that is open toward the inner surface of the other bottom portion of the container body, and is disposed closer to the other bottom portion of the container body than the first filter portion; A gap between the inner peripheral surface and the inner surface of the other bottom A cup member comprising a side wall to be formed and a bottom wall having a second opening, and a second filter portion provided in the second opening, wherein the second opening has the other bottom of the container body and the The dust collection chamber defined between the cup member and the separation portion defined between the partition wall and the cup member are communicated with each other, and the dust collection chamber is caused by the flow of air returning from the dust collection chamber to the separation unit . The dust accumulated in the dust chamber is pressed against the bottom wall of the cup member or the second filter portion.

  Moreover, the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention was equipped with the said dust separation dust collection container, and the vacuum cleaner main body with which the said dust separation dust collection container was attached detachably.

The perspective view which showed the external appearance of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which showed typically the dust separation dust collection container which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which showed the dust separation dust collection container which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective sectional view showing the dust separation dust collection container concerning the embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which showed the dust separation dust collection container which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of a dust separation dust collecting container and a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 1 includes a cleaner body 2 disposed on a surface to be cleaned, and a pipe portion 3 detachably connected to the cleaner body 2.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 2 includes a main body case 5, a pair of wheels 6 pivotally supported on both sides of the main body case 5, a dust separation and dust collection container 7 detachably attached to the main body case 5, and a dust separation and dust collection. An electric blower 8 communicated with the container 7, a main body control unit 9 that controls driving of the electric blower 8, and a power cord 11 that guides electric power to the electric blower 8 are provided.

  The main body case 5 has a main body connection port 12 communicated with the dust separation and dust collection container 7.

  The dust separating and collecting container 7 separates and collects dust from the air (dust-containing air) containing dust sucked into the vacuum cleaner 1 by the negative pressure generated by the electric blower 8.

  The wheel 6 is a large-diameter traveling wheel for traveling of the cleaner body 2.

  The main body control unit 9 has a plurality of preset operation modes. The main body control unit 9 drives the electric blower 8 by selectively selecting an arbitrary operation mode from a plurality of operation modes in response to an operation signal input from the pipe unit 3. Each operation mode is set by making the input value of the electric blower 8 different from each other while being associated with the operation signal input from the pipe section 3.

  The power cord 11 includes a power plug 14 at the free end.

  The pipe portion 3 sucks dust-containing air from the surface to be cleaned and guides it to the cleaner body 2 by the negative pressure acting from the cleaner body 2 as the electric blower 8 is operated. The pipe section 3 includes a connection pipe 19 that is detachably connected to the main body connection port 12 of the cleaner body 2, a dust collection hose 21 that is connected to the connection pipe 19, and a hand control pipe that is connected to the dust collection hose 21. 22, a gripping portion 23 provided protruding from the hand operation tube 22, an operation portion 24 provided on the gripping portion 23, an extension tube 25 detachably connected to the hand operation tube 22, and an extension tube 25 A suction port body 26 detachably connected to the suction port body 26.

  The connection pipe 19 is a tubular body communicated with the dust separation and dust collection container 7 through the main body connection port 12.

  The dust collection hose 21 is a hose which is flexible and is formed in an elongated substantially cylindrical shape. The dust collection hose 21 has one end connected to the connection pipe 19. The dust collecting hose 21 is communicated with the dust separating and collecting container 7 through the connecting pipe 19.

  The hand operating tube 22 has one end connected to the other end of the dust collecting hose 21. The hand operating tube 22 communicates with the dust separating and collecting container 7 through the connecting tube 19 and the dust collecting hose 21.

  The grip portion 23 is a portion that the user grips with his / her hand to operate the vacuum cleaner 1. The gripping portion 23 is provided so as to protrude from the other end portion of the hand operating tube 22 with an appropriate shape adapted to the hand so that the user can easily grip it by hand.

  The operation unit 24 includes a switch corresponding to each operation mode. Specifically, the operation unit 24 includes a stop switch 24a that receives an operation stop operation of the electric blower 8 by the user, and an activation switch 24b that receives an operation start operation of the electric blower 8 by the user. The start switch 24b may include a weak operation switch (not shown), a medium operation switch (not shown), and a strong operation switch (not shown). The user of the vacuum cleaner 1 can alternatively select the operation mode of the electric blower 8 by operating the operation unit 24.

  The extension tube 25 is a tube formed in an elongated substantially cylindrical shape that can be expanded and contracted. The extension tube 25 has a telescopic structure by overlapping a plurality of cylindrical bodies. The extension tube 25 has one end detachably connected to the other end of the hand operation tube 22. The extension pipe 25 is communicated with the dust separating and collecting container 7 through the connecting pipe 19, the hand operating pipe 22 and the dust collecting hose 21.

  The suction port body 26 is detachably connected to the other end of the extension pipe 25. In addition, the suction port body 26 is configured to be able to travel on a surface to be cleaned such as a wooden floor or a carpet, and has a suction port 28 on the bottom surface facing the surface to be cleaned in the traveling state. Further, the suction port body 26 includes a rotary cleaning body 29 that is pivotally supported by the suction port body 26 and disposed at the suction port 28, and an electric motor 31 that drives the rotary cleaning body 29 to rotate. The suction port body 26 communicates with the dust separation and dust collection container 7 through the extension pipe 25, the hand operation pipe 22 and the dust collection hose 21.

  When the start switch 24 b is operated, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 drives the electric blower 8 to apply a negative pressure (suction negative pressure) to the inside of the cleaner main body 2. This negative pressure acts on the suction port 28 of the suction port body 26 from the main body connection port 12 through the dust collecting hose 21, the hand operating tube 22 and the extension tube 25. Due to the negative pressure acting on the suction port 28, the vacuum cleaner 1 sucks dust collected on the surface to be cleaned together with air from the suction port 28 to clean the surface to be cleaned. The dust-containing air sucked into the suction port 28 is separated into air and dust by the dust separating and collecting container 7 accommodated in the cleaner body 2. The separated dust is collected in a dust separation and collection container 7. On the other hand, the separated air passes through the dust separation and collection container 7 and is sucked into the electric blower 8 and exhausted from the cleaner body 2.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a dust separation container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a dust separation container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a dust separation container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a dust separation container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the dust separating and collecting container 7 according to the present embodiment includes a container main body 35, a suction pipe 36, a discharge pipe 37, a partition wall 39, a filtration part 41 (first filter part). ), A cup member 42, a columnar member 43, a filtering part 45 (second filter part), and a pleated filter part 48.

  In addition, the dust separating and collecting container 7 may be arranged in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction with respect to the center line C of the cylindrical container body 35 in the state where it is mounted on the cleaner body 2. It may be arranged to be tilted at an arbitrary angle.

  The container body 35 is a bottomed cylindrical container, and is an exhaust air passage 55 defined between one bottom 35a and the partition wall 39, and a collection defined between the other bottom 35b and the cup member 42. A dust chamber 56 and a separation part 57 defined between the partition wall 39 and the cup member 42 are provided. The container body 35 includes a lid 58 that can be freely opened and closed on the other bottom portion 35 b of the dust collection chamber 56. The lid 58 is pivotally supported by a hinge mechanism 61 provided on the side wall 35 c of the container body 35 to open and close the dust collection chamber 56. When the container body 35 opens the lid 58, the dust accumulated in the dust collection chamber 56 can be discarded outside the container body 35.

  The suction pipe 36 is an inlet pipe that is connected to the side wall 35 c of the container body 35 and guides air along the inner peripheral surface of the container body 35. The suction pipe 36 makes the main body connection port 12 of the cleaner body 2 communicate with the separation portion 57 in the container main body 35. The suction pipe 36 has a flow path oriented in a tangential direction of a concentric circle with respect to the center line C of the container main body 35. When the electric blower 8 is driven and negative pressure acts on the container main body 35, a swirl flow F is generated in the container main body 35. Is generated.

  The discharge pipe 37 is an outlet pipe connected to the one bottom portion 35 a side of the container body 35 from the suction pipe 36. The discharge pipe 37 makes the exhaust air passage 55 in the container main body 35 communicate with the suction port (not shown) of the electric blower 8.

  The suction pipe 36 and the discharge pipe 37 are integrally formed on the side wall 35c of the container body 35.

  The partition wall 39 is a wall that partitions the suction pipe 36 and the discharge pipe 37, and has an opening 39 a (first opening) that is substantially concentric with the container body 35. The partition wall 39 is held by the container body 35 and partitions both spaces so that the dust-containing air that has flowed into the separation portion 57 does not generate the swirling flow F and does not directly flow into the exhaust air passage 55. The opening 39 a is an opening in which a surface orthogonal to the center line C of the container main body 35 is opened in a circular shape, and is disposed at the approximate center of the partition wall 39. The partition wall 39 includes an inner cylinder 62 that extends into the separation portion 57 along the center line C of the container body 35. The inner cylinder 62 holds the cup member 42 in the container body 35. The inner cylinder 62 has side surfaces configured in a lattice shape, and has a large opening 62a that communicates the space inside and outside the cylinder.

  The filtration part 41 is a mesh filter having a cylindrical shape substantially concentric with the container main body 35, and is accommodated in the container main body 35 (more specifically, the separation part 57) so as to face the suction pipe 36 and provided in the opening 39a. . More specifically, the filtration unit 41 maintains a cylindrical shape so as to surround the side wall of the lattice-shaped inner cylinder 62, and the swirling flow F in the separation unit 57 is sufficiently developed, for example, immediately after the electric blower 8 starts to be driven or immediately after it is stopped. During the period when the swirl flow F is not developed, and naturally after the swirl flow F is developed, the dust is prevented from flowing from the separation portion 57 into the exhaust air passage 55.

  The cup member 42 has a bottomed cylindrical shape that is open toward the inner surface of the other bottom portion 35 b of the container body 35, and is disposed closer to the other bottom portion 35 b of the container body 35 than the filtration portion 41. The cup member 42 includes a side wall 53 that forms gaps 51 and 52 between the inner peripheral surface of the container body 35 and the inner surface of the other bottom portion 35b, and a bottom wall 54 having an opening 54a (second opening). . The inside of the cup member 42 forms a dust collection chamber 56 together with the bottom 35b (that is, the lid body 58) of the container body 35. The cup member 42 has an inner peripheral surface that expands toward the other bottom 35 b (that is, the lid body 58) of the container body 35.

  Further, the cup member 42 causes the separation portion 57 and the dust collection chamber 56 to communicate with each other through the gaps 51 and 52 with the container main body 35. The gap 51 is formed over the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the container body 35 and the outer peripheral surface of the cup member 42. On the other hand, the opening 54 a of the cup member 42 is an opening disposed closer to the center line C of the container body 35 than the gap 51, and allows the dust collection chamber 56 and the separation portion 57 to communicate with each other. Separation part 57 and dust collection room 56 are connected by gaps 51 and 52 and opening 54a. The gaps 51 and 52 guide the swirling flow F generated in the separation unit 57 to the dust collecting chamber 56 together with dust. On the other hand, the opening 54 a returns the swirl flow F guided into the dust collection chamber 56 to the separation unit 57.

  The columnar member 43 is extended along the center line C of the container body 35 from the bottom wall 54 of the cup member 42 to the other bottom portion 35b of the container body 35 (that is, the lid body 58). It is a hollow cylinder. The columnar member 43 is brought into contact with the lid body 58 to block the air flow between the hollow portion and the dust collection chamber 56. The columnar member 43 may be formed integrally with the inner cylinder 62, and the hollow portion thereof may be communicated with the inner cylinder 62.

  The filtering unit 45 is a mesh-like filter provided in the opening 54 a of the cup member 42. The filtering part 45 may be coarse enough that fibrous dust such as lint and cotton dust that has flowed into the dust collecting chamber 56 does not return to the separation part 57.

  The pleated filter portion 48 is a filter provided in a flow path (that is, the exhaust air passage 55) between the opening 39 a of the partition wall 39 and the discharge pipe 37. The pleated filter unit 48 captures fine particulate fine particles that can pass through the filtering unit 41 during a period in which the swirling flow F of the separating unit 57 is not sufficiently developed, such as immediately after the electric blower 8 is started or stopped. The fine dust is not sucked into the electric blower 8.

  The opening 54a may be an opening group composed of a plurality of openings arranged concentrically and at equal intervals with respect to the center of the container body 35. The opening 54a has an appropriately small diameter (for example, a diameter of 5 mm) so that fiber dust such as lint and cotton that has flowed into the dust collecting chamber 56 without being blocked by the filtering unit 45 does not return to the separation unit 57. An opening group (filtering portion) composed of a plurality of openings having the following) may be used.

  Further, the gap 51 and the opening 54a are not limited to those formed or arranged in an annular shape around the center of the container body 35 over the entire circumference. Specifically, the gap 51 may be formed in an arc shape along the inner periphery of the container body 35. Further, the opening 54 a may be arranged such that a part of the circumference is opened in an arc shape while being arranged closer to the center of the container body 35 than the gap 51.

  In the dust separating and collecting container 7 configured as described above, when the electric blower 8 is driven, a negative pressure is applied to the exhaust air passage 55 via the discharge pipe 37. The negative pressure of the exhaust air passage 55 acts on the separation portion 57 through the opening 39a. Furthermore, the negative pressure of the separation part 57 acts on the pipe part 3 via the suction pipe 36. Then, the dust-containing air sucked into the pipe part 3 traces the pipe part 3 in the reverse direction and is guided to the dust separation and dust collection container 7.

  The dust-containing air guided to the dust separation and dust collection container 7 flows along the inner peripheral surface of the container main body 35 from the suction pipe 36 and generates a swirling flow F in the separation portion 57. The swirl flow F centrifuges the dust-containing air into air and dust. A part of the separated air passes through the filtering part 41 arranged in the vicinity of the center of the vortex of the swirling flow F, and reaches the exhaust air passage 55 through the opening 39a (solid arrow Fr in FIG. 2). The remainder of the separated air and the separated dust flow along the inner peripheral surface of the container body 35 and flow into the dust collecting chamber 56 through the gaps 51 and 52.

The dust flowing into the dust collecting chamber 56 is collected while turning inside the cup member 42 and accumulated so as to surround the columnar member 43. On the other hand, the air flowing into the dust collection chamber 56 returns from the dust collection chamber 56 to the separation portion 57 through the opening 54 a of the cup member 42. At this time, the air flow Fc blown from the inside of the cup member 42 through the opening 54 a to the separation portion 57 removes dust accumulated so as to surround the columnar member 43, or the bottom wall 54 of the cup member 42 or the filtration portion 45. Press on.

  The dust separating and collecting container 7 that generates such an air flow is moved into the dust collecting chamber 56 (in other words, the space inside the cup member 42) by the air flow Fc returning from the dust collecting chamber 56 to the separating portion 57. The accumulated dust is pressed against the bottom wall 54 or the filter member 45 of the cup member 42 to increase the density of the dust to reduce the volume. As a result, a large amount of dust is accumulated in the dust collection chamber 56.

  In addition, since the dust separating and collecting container 7 accumulates the fibrous dust inside the cup member 42, the dust separating dust 57 reliably prevents the fibrous dust from flowing back to the separating portion 57 side by the swirling flow F.

  Further, the dust separating and collecting container 7 is formed by expanding the inner peripheral surface of the cup member 42 toward the other bottom 35b (that is, the lid 58) of the container main body 35. The dust accumulated in the dust collecting chamber 56 is guided to the lid 58 side when the bottom portion 35b is directed downward, and the dust is easily discarded outside the container body 35 by opening the lid 58.

  Therefore, according to the dust separating and collecting container 7 according to the present embodiment, the cylindrical container main body 35 is provided, and the swirl flow F is generated inside the container main body 35 to perform the centrifugal separation of the dust-containing air and the separation. While accumulating the accumulated dust, it is possible to collect a large amount of dust by increasing the density of the accumulated dust as much as possible.

  The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a canister type, but may be an upright type, a stick type, or a handy type.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric vacuum cleaner 2 Vacuum cleaner main body 3 Pipe part 5 Main body case 6 Wheel 7 Dust separation dust collection container 8 Electric blower 9 Main body control part 11 Power cord 12 Main body connection port 14 Power plug 19 Connection pipe 21 Dust collection hose 22 Hand control pipe 23 Grasping part 24 Operation part 24a Stop switch 24b Start switch 25 Extension pipe 26 Suction port body 28 Suction port 29 Rotating cleaning body 31 Electric motor 35 Container body 35a Bottom part 35b Bottom part 35c Side wall 36 Suction pipe 37 Discharge pipe 39 Partition wall 39a Opening 41 Filtration part 42 Cup member 43 Columnar member 45 Filtration part 48 Pleated filter part 51 Gap 52 Gap 53 Side wall 54 Bottom wall 54a Opening 55 Exhaust air duct 56 Dust collection chamber 57 Separating part 58 Lid 61 Hinge mechanism 62 Inner cylinder 62a Opening

Claims (3)

A bottomed cylindrical container body;
A suction pipe that is connected to the side wall of the container body and guides the air along the inner peripheral surface of the container body;
A discharge pipe connected to the side wall of the container body according to one bottom side of the container body from the suction pipe;
A partition having a first opening partitioning between the suction pipe and the discharge pipe and substantially concentric with the container body;
A first filter portion having a cylindrical shape substantially concentric with the container main body and accommodated in the container main body and facing the suction pipe and provided in the first opening;
The container body has a bottomed cylindrical shape opened toward the inner surface of the other bottom portion of the container body, and is disposed on the other bottom side of the container body with respect to the first filter portion, and the inner peripheral surface of the container body and A cup member comprising a side wall forming a gap with the inner surface of the other bottom and a bottom wall having a second opening;
A second filter portion provided in the second opening,
The second opening communicates a dust collection chamber defined between the other bottom of the container body and the cup member, and a separation unit defined between the partition wall and the cup member, A dust separating and collecting container characterized in that dust accumulated in the dust collecting chamber is pressed against the bottom wall of the cup member or the second filter portion by an air flow returning from the dust collecting chamber to the separating portion . The dust separating and collecting container according to claim 1, wherein the cup member has an inner peripheral surface that expands toward the other bottom side of the container body. The dust separation and dust collection container according to claim 1 or 2,
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a vacuum cleaner body on which the dust separation and dust collection container is detachably mounted.

Images