JP6032459B2 - Vacuum cleaner suction tool and vacuum cleaner provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner suction tool and a vacuum cleaner including the same, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner suction tool capable of further improving operability and a vacuum cleaner including the same.

  In vacuum cleaners, various techniques have been proposed in the past for improving the operability of a suction tool that sucks dust and the like to achieve high cleaning efficiency. For example, in Patent Document 1, in order to enable a user to easily operate an angle of a mouthpiece easily by operating a hand handle in a canister-type vacuum cleaner, a mouthpiece body, a tubular shape, A mouthpiece (suction tool) is proposed which is composed of a free connecting portion composed of two arm portions.

  In this mouthpiece, the first arm portion of the two arm portions is attached to the mouthpiece body so as to be rotatable in the angle of attack Y direction by the first rotating portion, and the second arm portion is attached to the other end of the first arm portion. It is the structure which attaches so that it can rotate in the left-right X direction with a 2nd rotation part. Further, the rotating surface of the second rotating portion is always inclined forward by a predetermined angle Z, one end of the first arm portion is attached to the upper side of the rotating surface, and the second arm is set to the lower side. One end of the part is attached.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a handle having a longitudinal axis, a surface treatment head (suction tool), and a handle for the purpose of improving operability in surface treatment such as cleaning in an upright type surface treatment device. A surface treatment apparatus is disclosed that includes a support assembly that is mounted for rolling relative to a handle and a linkage between the handle and the surface treatment head.

  In this surface treatment apparatus, the support assembly is ball-shaped or roller-shaped, and is configured to roll around a rolling shaft, and the link mechanism includes the support assembly and a handle. The surface treatment head is turned in a new direction when rotated around the longitudinal axis.

JP-A-11-189933 Special table 2006-503608 gazette

  However, in the conventional technique, the operability of the suction tool may not be sufficiently improved.

  For example, since the suction tool proposed by patent document 1 is the structure specialized in the canister type cleaner, it cannot be applied as it is to an upright type cleaner, for example.

  Generally, in a canister type vacuum cleaner, one end of a suction hose is attached to the cleaner body, one end of a connection pipe is attached to the other end of the suction hose, and a suction tool is attached to the other end of the connection pipe The gripping portion is provided on one end side of the connection pipe (the side connected to the other end on the suction hose side).

  Therefore, since the user grips the grip portion and operates the suction tool via the connection pipe, the operability is provided by providing the arm portion composed of the first arm portion and the second arm portion. We are trying to improve. On the other hand, in the upright type vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner main body is located at the portion corresponding to the connecting pipe. Therefore, even if the configuration of Patent Document 1 is applied as it is, the vacuum cleaner main body having a large weight and volume is swung around. Therefore, the operability cannot be substantially improved.

  Moreover, the surface treatment apparatus proposed by patent document 2 rotates the suction tool (surface treatment head) by making the rolling shaft of a ball-shaped or roller-shaped support assembly tilt up and down. Therefore, since the turning radius is increased, the user needs to twist the handle larger as the user tries to turn the suction tool. In this case, the burden on the user's wrist tends to increase, and it is difficult to say that the operability can be sufficiently improved when it is required to turn the suction tool slightly.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and a suction tool capable of further improving the operability of the vacuum cleaner regardless of the type of the vacuum cleaner, and the suction tool It aims at providing a vacuum cleaner provided with.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a vacuum cleaner suction tool according to the present invention includes a suction tool body having a suction port on a lower surface, a connection pipe portion connected to a rear portion of the suction tool body, and the connection pipe. A traveling wheel portion provided in a portion, and the connection pipe portion includes a first connection pipe having one end connected to the rear upper side of the suction tool body and the other end of the first connection pipe. A second connecting pipe rotatably connected in the axial direction, and the wheel portion includes at least a pair of left and right wheels and a wheel support that rotatably supports these wheels at both ends. And a wheel mounting portion for attaching the wheel support to the lower side of the second connecting pipe so that the tilting operation is possible with the central portion of the wheel support as a fulcrum. .

  According to the said structure, the wheel support body is attached to the lower side of the 2nd connecting pipe among the connecting pipe parts by the wheel attaching part so that inclination is possible. Thereby, the swinging of the connecting part of the suction tool main body and the first connecting pipe, the rotation of the connecting part of the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe, and the wheel support (wheel part) by the wheel mounting part With this inclination, the wheel portion provided on the lower surface of the second connection pipe is substantially three-dimensionally inclined. Therefore, since the suction tool main body can be easily turned through the connecting pipe portion due to the inclination of the wheel portion, the operability of the suction tool can be improved.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool of the said structure, the said wheel attachment part can rotate the said wheel part centering | focusing on the attachment axis | shaft which is an axis | shaft inclined frontward along the front-back direction of the said connecting pipe part. The structure attached to the position along the lower surface of the said 2nd connecting pipe may be sufficient.

  Further, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the wheel mounting portion is a screw that urges the second connection pipe inclined with the inclination of the wheel support body to the side opposite to the inclination direction. The structure provided with the leaf spring member may be sufficient.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the mounting shaft angle θ1 that is an angle formed by the mounting shaft with respect to the surface to be cleaned may be an acute angle.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, when the surface on which the second connection pipe connected to the first connection pipe rotates is a rotation surface, the rotation surface is The connecting pipes may be connected so that a rotation surface angle θ0 that is an angle formed with respect to the surface to be cleaned is an acute angle larger than the mounting shaft angle θ1.

  In the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, when the rotation center of the second connection pipe with respect to the first connection pipe is a rotation axis, the direction of the rotation axis and the attachment The axial direction may be in a positional relationship that intersects each other.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the rotation shaft angle θ2 that is an angle formed by the rotation shaft with respect to the surface to be cleaned is in a range of 5 to 45 °, and the mounting shaft The angle θ1 may be in a range of 5 to 45 °.

  Further, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the connection pipe portion further includes a third connection pipe that is swingably connected in the front-rear direction at the other end of the second connection pipe, The position of the wheel mounting portion in the second connection pipe may be a front side of the position of the swing shaft of the third connection pipe.

  Further, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the gravity center axis is positioned on or behind the wheel portion when used to attach dust to the vacuum cleaner and suck the dust. The structure comprised so that change of the relative position of the said wheel part with respect to the said suction tool main body so that it may be located between a suction tool main body and the said wheel part may be sufficient.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool of the said structure, the structure provided with the lever mechanism which changes the position of the said wheel part with respect to the said suction tool main body by the operation may be sufficient.

  Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the third connection pipe is a protrusion that rotates with the swing of the third connection pipe around the swing axis of the third connection pipe. And when the housing is housed, the tilting action of the wheel portion may be limited by the protrusion of the third contact tube coming into contact with the upper surface of the wheel support body by swinging of the third connecting pipe. Good.

  Further, in the vacuum cleaner suction tool having the above-described configuration, the lever mechanism is provided with an engaging portion that can be brought into contact with the third connection pipe by the operation thereof, and the third connection pipe The abutting portion of the engaging portion may be configured as an engaged portion having a shape corresponding to the engaging portion.

  Moreover, the vacuum cleaner provided with the suction tool for vacuum cleaners of the said either structure is also contained in this invention.

  In the present invention, the above configuration provides a suction tool capable of further improving the operability of the vacuum cleaner regardless of the type of the vacuum cleaner, and a vacuum cleaner provided with the suction tool. There is an effect that can be.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of a structure of the vacuum cleaner suction tool which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure which looked at the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 from the front. It is a rear view which shows the structure which looked at the vacuum cleaner suction tool shown in FIG. 1 from back. It is the left view which shows the structure which looked at the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 from the left side. It is a right view which shows the structure which looked at the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. It is a top view which shows the structure which looked at the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 from upper direction. It is a bottom view which shows the structure which looked at the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 from the downward direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure of the front-back direction of the vacuum cleaner suction tool shown in FIG. 1 from the left side. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an example of a structure of the wheel attachment part with which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view and a forward comparison diagram showing the detailed configuration of the wheel mounting portion shown in FIG. 9 together with the configuration of the wheel portion. (A) is a schematic diagram explaining the rotation surface of the 2nd connecting pipe with which the vacuum cleaner suction tool shown in FIG. 1 is equipped, and the attachment axis | shaft of a wheel attachment part, (b) is the said attachment axis | shaft. It is a schematic diagram explaining the rotating shaft of a 2nd connecting pipe. (A) is a top view which shows the state which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 changes direction to the left side, (b) is a top view which shows the state which changes direction to the right side. (A) is a comparison figure of the front direction and the back direction of a wheel attachment part which shows an example of the elongate hole for a spring provided in the attachment part main body of the wheel attachment part shown in FIG. 9, (b) is a wheel attachment. It is a schematic diagram which shows a motion when the two torsion spring members with which a part is provided are each seen from the back surface. (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the state which is using the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 attached to an upright type vacuum cleaner from the left side, (b) is the left side in the state at the time of accommodation. It is a schematic diagram shown from the side. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the contact state with the protrusion part with which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 is equipped, and the upper surface of a wheel support body. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the engagement state of the engaging part of the lever mechanism with which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 is equipped, and the to-be-engaged part of a 3rd connection pipe. It is a perspective view which shows an example of a structure of the upright type vacuum cleaner to which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 is applied. It is a perspective view which shows an example of a structure of the canister type vacuum cleaner to which the suction tool for vacuum cleaners shown in FIG. 1 is applied.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
(Embodiment 1)
First, as Embodiment 1 of the present invention, an example of a specific configuration and use of the vacuum cleaner suction tool will be specifically described. In the following description, for convenience, the vacuum cleaner suction tool is simply abbreviated as “suction tool” unless otherwise specified.

[Overall configuration of suction tool]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment includes a suction tool body 11, a connecting pipe part 12, a wheel part 13, and a wheel mounting part 14.

  As shown in the overall perspective view of FIG. 1, the front view of FIG. 2, and the plan view of FIG. 6, the suction tool main body 11 has an elongated flat plate shape, and the side surfaces of FIGS. 4 and 5 in addition to FIGS. As shown in the figure, the connecting pipe portion 12 is connected to the center rear in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, in the suction tool 10, the side on which the suction tool body 11 is located is referred to as “front”, and the side on the opposite side where the wheel portion 13 is located is referred to as “rear”. Moreover, the left-right direction of the suction tool 10 is prescribed | regulated as a left-right direction toward the front.

  As shown in the bottom view of FIG. 7, the suction tool main body 11 has a suction port 111 in front of the lower surface. The suction port 111 is a rectangular opening located along the longitudinal direction of the suction tool main body 11, and a rotary brush 112 is provided therein as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 8 in addition to FIG. 7. . The rotating brush 112 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and is configured to be rotatable by a brush rotating mechanism (not shown). The brush rotation mechanism may use a motor as a drive source, or may use an air turbine as a drive source.

  In addition to FIG. 7, a pair of rear wheels 15 and a pair of front wheels 16 are provided on the lower surface of the suction tool body 11 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 8. As shown in the rear view of FIG. 3, the rear wheel 15 is located in the vicinity of the connecting pipe portion 12 behind the suction tool main body 11. As shown in FIG. 7, the front wheel 16 is positioned in front of and behind the rear wheel 15 and close to the suction port 111. The suction tool main body 11 can move on the surface to be cleaned by the rear wheel 15 and the front wheel 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 to 8, the connecting pipe portion 12 is connected to the rear portion of the suction tool body 11. In the present embodiment, the first connecting pipe 21 and the second connecting pipe 22 are connected. , And a third connecting pipe 23.

  One end of the first connection pipe 21 is connected to the rear upper side of the suction tool main body 11, and the other end is connected to the second connection pipe 22. Note that one end of the first connection pipe 21 may be swingable in the front-rear direction with respect to the suction tool main body 11 as shown in FIG. 1 or may be fixedly connected so as not to swing. The second connection pipe 22 has one end connected to the other end of the first connection pipe 21 so as to be rotatable in the axial direction, and the other end connected to the third connection pipe 23.

  The third connection pipe 23 has one end connected to the other end of the second connection pipe 22 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction, and the other end is an open end connectable to a vacuum cleaner. Yes. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the third connection pipe 23 is provided with a protruding portion that rotates with the swing of the third connection pipe 23.

  In FIG. 1, the swinging direction of the first connecting pipe 21 is indicated by an arrow M4, the turning direction of the second connecting pipe 22 is indicated by an arrow M2, and the swinging direction of the third connecting pipe 23 is indicated by an arrow. The direction of rotation of a wheel mounting portion 14, which will be described later, is indicated by an arrow M1. Moreover, the suction tool 10 shown in FIG. 1 is in a storage state to be described later, and in this state, the third connection pipe 23 swings most forward. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the arrow M3 indicates that the third connecting pipe 23 can swing only backward.

  In the present embodiment, the connecting pipe portion 12 is configured by three tubular members, namely the connecting pipes 21, 22, and 23, but is not limited to this, and at least two tubular members of the connecting pipes 21 and 22. It should just be comprised from. Moreover, you may be comprised from four or more tubular members as needed, and members other than a tubular member may be provided. The swinging or turning of these connecting pipes 21, 22, 23, their functions, etc. will be described later.

  The wheel part 13 is provided in the connecting pipe part 12 and enables the suction tool 10 to travel together with the rear wheel 15 and the front wheel 16 provided on the lower surface of the suction tool body 11. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 7, the wheel unit 13 includes a pair of left and right wheels 31, a wheel support 32, and a lever mechanism 33 in the present embodiment.

  The wheel 31 is rotatably supported at both ends of the wheel support 32. The specific shape of the wheel 31 is not particularly limited and may be any known shape. In the present embodiment, the wheel 31 is supported by the wheel support 32 as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7. It has a shape whose diameter decreases from the inside toward the outside. In other words, it can be said that this shape has a substantially parabolic cross section.

  If the wheel 31 has such a shape, the outer central portion protrudes as compared with the inner side of the wheel 31. Therefore, when the suction tool 10 is turned as described later, Even if it inclines, the peripheral surface of the protrusion part in the wheel 31 contacts the surface to be cleaned and rotates. Therefore, since the wheel 31 can sufficiently travel on the surface to be cleaned even in the inclined state, the operability of the suction tool 10 can be improved.

  As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 7, the wheel support 32 has an elongated flat plate shape, and its length in the longitudinal direction is shorter than that of the suction tool main body 11. As described above, the pair of wheels 31 are rotatably supported at both ends, and the central portion thereof is attached to the connecting pipe portion 12 via the wheel attachment portion 14. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the wheel support 32 is basically positioned so as to be orthogonal to the extending direction (front-rear direction) of the connecting pipe portion 12, but in use (electric cleaning) When attaching to the machine and sucking dust), it can be inclined with respect to the connecting pipe portion 12 as will be described later.

  The lever mechanism 33 restricts the swinging of the third connecting pipe 23 and the tilting operation of the wheel portion 13 when the suction tool 10 is not used, particularly when stored. Specifically, in the use state, the third connection pipe 23 usually swings backward (falls down), but the third connection pipe 23 is swung forward from the use state. In the storage state shown in FIG. 1, the lever mechanism 33 is pushed up in conjunction with the swing of the third connection pipe 23. Thereby, the swing of the third connecting pipe 33 is restricted, and the tilting operation of the wheel portion 13 is restricted. An example of a specific configuration of the lever mechanism 33 and restriction on the inclination of the wheel portion 13 will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the wheel unit 13 has a configuration including the wheel 31, the wheel support 32, and the lever mechanism 33, but is not limited thereto, and includes at least the wheel 31 and the wheel support 32. Just do it. The lever mechanism 33 is provided to limit the tilting operation of the wheel support 32 as described above. However, the wheel unit 13 includes a mechanism or a member other than the lever mechanism 33 to limit the tilting operation. Alternatively, a configuration other than the wheel 31, the wheel support 32, and the lever mechanism 33 may be provided.

  The wheel attachment portion 14 is provided to attach the wheel support body 32 to the connection pipe portion 12. In the present embodiment, since the wheel attachment portion 14 is provided on the lower surface of the second connection pipe 22, the wheel support body 32 (that is, the wheel portion 13) is the second connection pipe 22 in the connection pipe portion 12. It will be attached to. The wheel support 32 is configured to be able to be tilted by the wheel mounting portion 14 with the central portion as a fulcrum. An example of the specific configuration will be described later.

  More specific configurations of the suction tool main body 11, the connecting pipe portion 12, and the wheel portion 13 described above, for example, materials, dimensions, components, etc. are not particularly limited. Can be used. For example, the suction tool main body 11 and the connecting pipe portion 12 only have to be configured by assembling a known resin molded product, and the rotating brush 112 also has a resin brush hair planted in a cylindrical body of the resin molded product. Any known configuration may be used. Moreover, although the wheel part 13 should just be comprised by assembling a well-known resin molding, about a pair of wheel 31, you may be comprised with elastic materials, such as rubber | gum.

[Detailed configuration of wheel mounting part]
Next, a more detailed configuration of the wheel mounting portion 14 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 in addition to FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wheel attachment portion 14 is composed at least of torsion spring members 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B, an attachment portion main body 42, an attachment shaft portion 43, and a shaft portion fastening member 44.

  The torsion spring member 41 </ b> A is located behind the wheel attachment portion 14, and the torsion spring member 41 </ b> B is located in front of the wheel attachment portion 14. The torsion spring members 41A and 41B are both torsion coil springs (torsion springs) having the same shape, and the spring body 410 is formed by winding a steel wire in a coil shape. Arms 411 and 412 extend linearly without being wound with a steel wire.

  A first arm 411 that is one of these arms 411 and 412 is an arm that extends in a tangential direction from a circular outer periphery at one end of the spring main body 410 and is exposed from the mounting portion main body 42 as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. And can be rotated. The first arm 411 is in contact with the outer periphery of the second connecting pipe 22 and basically moves as the second connecting pipe 22 rotates. The other second arm 412 is an arm that extends in the winding direction (the axial direction of the coil) at the other end of the spring main body 410 and is accommodated in the attachment main body 42, and the torsion spring members 41A and 41B. It functions as a stopper that regulates the rotation range. In addition, this point is explained in full detail with description of the use condition of the suction tool 10. FIG.

  The attachment portion main body 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is integrally fixed to the central portion of the wheel support body 32 as shown in the upper stage views of FIGS. 9 and 10. Torsion spring members 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B are housed inside the attachment portion main body 42. As shown in the top and middle views of FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, one torsion spring member 41A is housed on the back side of the mounting portion main body 42, and the other torsion spring member 41B is on the front side. It is stored in.

  Further, as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 10, a spring retaining frame 421 is provided at the center of the attachment portion main body 42. As shown in FIG. 9, when the torsion spring members 41A and 41B are inserted from both ends of the mounting portion main body 42 into the inside, their positions are defined by the spring retaining frame 421 so that they do not go deeper than necessary. Is done. As will be described later, the spring retaining frame 421 is provided with a spring long hole for allowing the second arm 412 to pass therethrough, whereby the second arm 412 can function as a stopper.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the attachment shaft portion 43 has a shape like a bolt or a nail. Since the shaft main body 431 has a substantially columnar shape and a lid plate 432 is provided at the rear end thereof, the shaft main body 431 stands upright in the perpendicular direction when viewed from the rear end cover plate 432. Become. As shown in FIG. 8, the attachment shaft portion 43 is inserted into the attachment portion main body 42 and holds the torsion spring members 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B in the attachment portion main body 42.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, since the attachment shaft portion 43 is inserted into the rear (back side) of the attachment portion main body 42, the rear end cover plate 432 is attached to the attachment portion main body as shown in FIG. It functions as a lid member that closes the opening on the rear side of 42 (for convenience of illustration, the lid plate 432 is not labeled in FIG. 8). Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a shaft insertion frame 221 that protrudes downward is provided on the lower side of the second connection pipe 22, and as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. Is inserted into the attachment portion main body 42 after being inserted into the shaft portion insertion frame 221. Therefore, the attachment shaft portion 43 also functions as a fixing member that fixes the wheel attachment portion 14 to the second connection pipe 22.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the shaft portion fastening member 44 includes a tip fitting portion 441 that is fitted to the tip of the attachment shaft portion 43 and an outer peripheral attachment portion 442 that is attached to the outer periphery of the second connecting pipe 22. Has been. By fitting the tip end of the attachment shaft portion 43 inserted into the attachment portion main body 42 into the tip fitting portion 441, the attachment shaft portion 43 is fastened so as not to be detached from the attachment portion main body 42. Further, by attaching the outer peripheral attachment portion 442 to the second connection pipe 22, both ends of the attachment shaft portion 43 and the attachment portion main body 42 are fixed to the second connection pipe 22. That is, the rear end (back side) of the attachment portion main body 42 is fixed to the second connecting pipe 22 by inserting the attachment shaft portion 43 into the shaft portion insertion frame 221 as described above, and the front end (front side) is The shaft portion fastening member 44 fitted with the tip of the attachment shaft portion 43 is fixed to the outer periphery of the second connecting pipe 22.

  Since the wheel mounting portion 14 having the above-described configuration is provided integrally with the wheel support body 32 of the wheel portion 13, as shown in the lower view of FIG. 10 (front view of the wheel portion 13), the torsion spring member The wheel portion 13 can be rotated in the direction of the block arrow M1 about the center axis S1 of the lines 41A and 41B (the broken line in the drawing, and the mounting shaft portion 43 not shown in FIG. 10 is the same as the center axis). . In addition, since the central axis S1 serving as the rotation center of the wheel portion 13 is also an axis along the mounting direction of the wheel mounting portion 14, it is hereinafter referred to as “mounting shaft S1” for convenience of description.

  Further, as described above, the second arms 412 of the torsion spring members 41A and 41B of the wheel mounting portion 14 serve as stoppers. Therefore, the rotation of the wheel portion 13 by the wheel mounting portion 14 is not a complete rotation such that the wheel portion 13 makes one rotation, but the extent that the wheel portion 13 swings below the second connection pipe 22. This is a partial rotation. Furthermore, as will be described later, the torsion spring members 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B connect the second connection pipe 21 inclined with the inclination of the wheel support body 32 (wheel portion 13) to the side opposite to the inclination direction (original Function to urge the position).

  The more specific configurations of the torsion spring members 41A and 41B, the attachment portion main body 42, the attachment shaft portion 43, and the shaft portion fastening member 44 are not particularly limited, and the torsion spring members 41A and 41B are publicly known. A steel torsion spring may be used, and the attachment main body 42, the attachment shaft 43, and the shaft fastening member 44 may be a known resin molded product as in the wheel portion 13. For convenience of illustration, the spring main body 410 of the torsion spring members 41A and 41B, the first arm 411 and the second arm 412, the shaft main body 431 of the mounting shaft 43 and the rear end cover plate 432, the shaft fastening member 44, the front end fitting portion 441 and the outer peripheral attachment portion 442 are provided with reference numerals only in FIG. 9, and are not provided with reference numerals in FIGS.

[Use condition of suction tool]
Next, referring to FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) and FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), together with the positional relationship between the connecting pipe portion 12 and the wheel mounting portion 14, an example of the usage state of the suction tool 10 will be described. Will be described in detail. FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating the shaft and the angle in a state where the suction tool 10 is placed on the surface F to be cleaned, and the state where the suction tool 10 is placed. Are the same. 11 (a) and 11 (b) show a use state in which the third connection pipe 23 swings backward, and in FIG. 11 (a) only, the third connection pipe 23 is located at the foremost position. The stowed storage state is indicated by a one-dot chain line. Further, in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), the drawing on the left side (left drawing) shows the state of the suction tool 10 when going straight in the usage state, and the drawing on the right side (right drawing) shows the state when turning. The state of the suction tool 10 is shown.

  Since the suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment has improved turning performance when attached to a vacuum cleaner, the operability of the vacuum cleaner can also be improved. In order to improve the turning performance, the positional relationship between the connecting pipe portion 12 and the wheel mounting portion 14 constituting the suction tool 10 is important.

  First, the mounting position of the wheel mounting portion 14 will be described. The wheel mounting portion 14 is fixed to the lower outer peripheral surface (lower surface) of the second connecting pipe 22 as shown in FIG. Moreover, the mounting shaft S1 (the rotation shaft of the wheel portion 13) that coincides with the mounting direction of the wheel mounting portion 14 is a shaft that is inclined forward along the front-rear direction of the connecting tube portion 12. Although the degree of inclination of the mounting shaft S1 is not particularly limited, it is preferable that the attachment shaft S1 is inclined so as to have an acute angle with respect to the surface to be cleaned F from the viewpoint of further improving operability.

  Specifically, in a state where the suction tool 10 is placed on the surface F to be cleaned, the angle formed by the mounting shaft S1 with respect to the surface F to be cleaned is the mounting shaft angle θ1 as shown in FIG. . The mounting shaft angle θ1 is preferably at least an acute angle (less than 90 °), and more preferably within a range of 5 to 45 °. If the mounting shaft angle θ1 is an acute angle, as shown in the right diagrams of FIGS. 12A and 12B, the wheel portion 13 is partially rotated (swinged) about the wheel mounting portion 14 as the center of rotation. In addition, the wheel support 32 is inclined so that one of the pair of wheels 31 is positioned in front of the other. For example, in the right view of FIG. 12A, the wheel support 32 is inclined such that the left wheel 31 is positioned forward and the right wheel 31 is positioned rearward. In the figure, the wheel support 32 is inclined so that the right wheel 31 is positioned forward and the left wheel 31 is positioned backward.

  Here, as described above, the wheel support 32 rotates about the mounting shaft S1 of the wheel mounting portion 14, so that the wheel support 32 can be either left or right wheel based on the connecting pipe portion 12. As the wheel 31 is tilted planarly (two-dimensionally) so as to move forward, the wheel 31 positioned forward is positioned below and the wheel 31 positioned rearward is positioned upward (three-dimensionally ( Inclined in three dimensions. For example, in the right view of FIG. 12A, the left wheel 31 moves forward and the wheel support 32 tilts, and in the right view of FIG. 12B, the right wheel 31 moves forward. The wheel support 32 is inclined.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, when the suction tool 10 is viewed from above (viewed as a plan view shown in FIG. 6), if the wheel support 32 is used as a reference, the wheel While the left and right wheels 31 of the support 32 move forward, the connecting pipe portion 12 is also inclined in the same direction as the moved wheels 31. For example, in the right diagram of FIG. 12A, when the left wheel 31 moves forward and the wheel support 32 tilts, the connecting pipe portion 12 tilts to the left, and in the right diagram of FIG. When the right wheel 31 moves forward and the wheel support 32 tilts, the connecting pipe portion 12 tilts to the right.

  Here, the wheel portion 13 is attached to the second connection pipe 22 via the wheel attachment portion 14, and the second connection pipe 22 is rotatably connected to the first connection pipe 21. Therefore, as the wheel support 32 (wheel portion 13) is inclined, the second connecting pipe 22 is rotated while being inclined, and the first connecting pipe 21 is swung along with the rotation, The movement of the second connection pipe 22 is transmitted to the suction tool main body 11. As a result, for example, the suction tool main body 11 turns to the left in the right view of FIG. 12A and turns to the right in the right view of FIG. 12B, so that the operability of the suction tool 10 can be improved. it can.

  From the user's point of view, first, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 6, the user swings back to a certain extent from the state in which the third connection pipe 23 is erected (the state in which the third connecting pipe 23 swings most forward). It is moved (fallen down) and shifted to the use state as shown in the left diagrams of FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b). At this time, although the wheel support body 32 (wheel part 13) is substantially parallel to the suction tool main body 11, the user tries to turn the suction tool main body 11 from this state. At this time, the user gently twists the grip portion of the vacuum cleaner, so that the wheel support 32 is tilted first as shown in the right diagrams of FIGS. Then, the tilting motion of the wheel support 32 is transmitted to the second connecting pipe 22 via the wheel mounting portion 14, whereby the second connecting pipe 22 rotates while tilting. Is further transmitted to the suction tool main body 11 via the first connection pipe 21, and as a result, the suction tool main body 11 turns in the inclination direction of the second connection pipe 22. Therefore, the user can easily operate the suction tool 10.

  When the suction tool main body 11 is turned, as shown in the right diagrams of FIGS. 12A and 12B, one end of the suction tool main body 11 and one wheel 31 of the wheel portion 13 are connected in the direction to turn. It will be close. Since FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a left turn, the left end of the suction tool body 11 and the left wheel 31 are close to each other. Moreover, since FIG.12 (b) is a figure which shows right turn, the right end of the suction tool main body 11 and the wheel 31 on the right side adjoin. In other words, if the wheel portion 13 moves so as to retract the wheel 31 on the side opposite to the side to be turned backward, the suction tool body 11 turns in a desired direction.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable to define the position of the wheel mounting portion 14 with respect to the third connecting pipe 23 in addition to the above-described definition of the inclination of the wheel mounting portion 14. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the third connecting pipe 23 can swing in the swing direction M3 which is the front-rear direction. If the central axis is the swing axis S3, the swing axis S3 is an axis positioned in the left-right direction. Therefore, it is preferable to set the wheel mounting portion 14 at a position ahead of the swing shaft S3 with reference to the swing shaft S3. If the wheel mounting portion 14 is positioned in this way, the distance between the wheel portion 13 and the suction tool main body 11 is not excessively widened. Therefore, the suction tool main body 11 is effectively swung by the inclination of the wheel support body 32. It becomes possible to make it.

  In addition to defining the inclination and position of the wheel mounting portion 14, it is preferable to define the connection angle of the second connecting pipe 22 with respect to the first connecting pipe 21. Specifically, in the state where the suction tool 10 is placed on the surface to be cleaned F, the angle of the second connecting pipe 22 with respect to the surface to be cleaned F is within a preferable range, as in the case of the inclination of the mounting shaft S1. By setting, the connection angle between the first connecting pipe 21 and the second connecting pipe 22 can be substantially defined.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11A, a surface on which the second connection tube 22 rotates with respect to the first connection tube 21 is defined as a rotation surface P0. When the angle formed by the rotation surface P0 with respect to the surface F to be cleaned is the rotation surface angle θ0, the rotation surface angle θ0 is preferably an acute angle larger than the attachment shaft angle θ1.

  Thereby, since it connects so that the connection of the 2nd connection pipe 22 may incline back with respect to the 1st connection pipe 21, if the 2nd connection pipe 22 rotates by the inclination of the wheel part 13, it will be. The torque due to the rotation is applied obliquely above the first connecting pipe 21. The first connecting pipe 21 can swing in the front-rear direction (see the swinging direction M4 in FIG. 11A) with respect to the suction tool body 11, and does not move in the left-right direction. The rotation of the connecting pipe 22 is effectively transmitted to the suction tool main body 11, and therefore the suction tool main body 11 is easily turned to the left and right.

  Here, the regulation of the inclination of the wheel mounting portion 14 and the regulation of the connection angle of the connection pipes 21 and 22 define the relationship between the inclination state of the second connection pipe 21 and the inclination state of the wheel attachment section 14. Also become. That is, both the wheel attachment portion 14 and the second connection pipe 22 are arranged in the front-rear direction, but the wheel attachment portion 14 is inclined so that the rearward direction is upward, and the second connection pipe 22 is upwardly upward. It is inclined to become.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), when the center of rotation of the second connection tube 22 relative to the first connection tube 21 is the rotation axis S2, the direction of the rotation axis S2 and the wheel It only needs to be in a positional relationship that intersects with the direction of the mounting axis S1 of the mounting portion 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, if the angle formed by the rotation axis S2 with respect to the surface F to be cleaned is the rotation axis angle θ2, the rotation axis angle θ2 may be an acute angle. More preferably, it is in the range of ˜45 °.

  If the mounting axis S1 of the wheel mounting portion 14 and the rotation axis S2 of the second connecting pipe 22 intersect, as the rotation direction M2 of FIG. Thus, the second connecting pipe 22 rotates while being inclined efficiently. Furthermore, although the second connecting pipe 22 is connected to the first connecting pipe 21, the first connecting pipe 21 may be fixedly connected to the suction tool body 11 as described above, or FIG. As shown to (a), with respect to the suction tool main body 11, you may rock | fluctuate to rocking | fluctuation direction M4 centering | focusing on rocking axis S4. In other words, when viewed from the first connection pipe 21, the suction tool body 11 may be swingable in the front-rear direction with respect to the first connection pipe 21. Therefore, together with the swing in the swing direction M4 by the first connection pipe 21, the rotation in the rotation direction M2 by the second connection pipe 22 is transmitted to the suction tool body 11 in a composite manner. As a result, the suction tool main body 11 turns efficiently.

  The positional relationship among the mounting shaft S1 of the wheel mounting portion 14, the rotation shaft S2 of the second connection tube 22, and the swing shaft S3 of the third connection tube 23 will be described as follows. Can do. That is, the mounting shaft S1 and the rotation shaft S2 are in the same plane, and the swing shaft S3 is orthogonal to this plane. In other words, the swing axis S3 corresponds to a normal line for the plane including the attachment axis S1 and the rotation axis S2. Here, since the swing shaft S3 does not directly intersect the attachment shaft S1 and the rotation shaft S2, the swing shaft S3, the attachment shaft S1 and the rotation shaft S2 are in a twisted position.

  Thus, in this Embodiment, the wheel support body 32 is attached to the lower side of the 2nd connection pipe 22 among the connection pipe parts 12 by the wheel attachment part 14 so that inclination is possible. Thereby, the swinging of the connecting part of the suction tool main body 11 and the first connecting pipe 21, the rotation of the connecting part of the first connecting pipe 21 and the second connecting pipe 22, and the wheel support by the wheel mounting portion 14. Due to the inclination of the body 32 (wheel part 13), the wheel part 13 provided on the lower surface of the second connecting pipe 22 is inclined substantially three-dimensionally. Therefore, since the suction tool main body 11 can be easily turned through the connecting pipe part 12 by the inclination of the wheel part 13, the operability of the suction tool 10 can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the wheel mounting portion 14 includes the two torsion spring members 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B, the suction tool main body 11 can be stably rotated by the inclination of the wheel support 32. This point will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 13A and 13B in addition to FIGS. 12A and 12B.

  In addition, the upper stage figure of Fig.13 (a) is the front view which looked at the wheel part 13 from the front, and the lower stage figure is the front view which looked at the wheel part 13 from back. In both the upper and lower diagrams, only the mounting portion main body 42 is shown for the wheel mounting portion 14, and the torsion spring members 41A and 41B, the mounting shaft portion 43, etc. are not shown. FIG. 13B shows the torsion spring members 41A and 41B when turning left (left frame), going straight (middle frame), and turning right (right frame) in order from the left frame. The upper diagram in each frame shows the torsion spring member 41A positioned rearward, and the rear diagram shows the torsion spring member 41B positioned forward (FIGS. 8 and 9). And FIG. 10).

  First, the spring slot 422 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13A, the attachment portion main body 42 of the wheel attachment portion 14 is provided with the spring retaining frame 421 inside as described above. The spring retaining frame 421 is the inner portion of the attachment portion main body 42. Instead of being provided so as to cover the entire circumference, a spring slot 422 is formed by cutting out the left and right sides. The spring slot 422 is a notch if nothing is accommodated in the attachment portion main body 42, but the torsion spring members 41A and 41B are accommodated in the attachment portion main body 42 and the attachment shaft portion 43 is inserted. If it does, it will become an arc-shaped hole which penetrates the 2nd arm 412 of torsion spring member 41A, 41B.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, the movement of the torsion spring members 41A and 41B viewed from the back side will be described. In addition, the space | interval shown with the dashed-dotted line in the figure in FIG.13 (b) has shown the space | interval of the up-down direction of the elongate hole 422 for springs, and the code | symbol is not attached | subjected to each elongate hole 422 for springs for convenience of illustration.

  For example, as shown in the left diagrams of FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), if the suction tool 10 is traveling straight, as shown in the middle frame (during straight travel) of FIG. In both the spring spring member 41A and the front torsion spring member 41B, the first arm 411 is exposed from the mounting portion main body 42 and is in a fixed position (see the lower part of FIG. 10), and the second arm 412 is The spring elongate hole 422 is in contact with the lower spring retaining frame 421. The first arm 411 of the torsion spring member 41A is in contact with the outer periphery on the left side of the second connection pipe 22, and the first arm 411 of the torsion spring member 41B is in contact with the second connection pipe 22. It is in contact with the outer periphery on the right side of.

  On the other hand, as shown in the right view of FIG. 12A, when the suction tool main body 11 turns leftward, as shown in the left frame (when turning left) of FIG. In the member 41 </ b> A (upper drawing), the second arm 412 moves from the bottom to the top in the spring slot 422, and the first arm 411 rotates (rotates counterclockwise) the second connecting pipe 22. It moves from top to bottom. In this state, the torsion spring member 41 </ b> A rotates (rotates counterclockwise) together with the second connection pipe 22, so that no torque is generated by the torsion spring member 41 </ b> A.

  On the other hand, in the front torsion spring member 41B (lower diagram), the first arm 411 moves from the bottom to the top with the rotation (left rotation) of the second connection pipe 22, The two arms 412 are in contact with the lower spring retaining frame 421 without moving in a fixed position within the spring slot 422. That is, since the second arm 412 functions as a stopper, torque is generated in the torsion spring member 41B. As a result, a force acts on the second connecting pipe 22 so as to move from left to right.

  Further, as shown in the right view of FIG. 12B, when the suction tool main body 11 turns to the right side, as shown in the right frame (when turning right) of FIG. In the spring member 41 </ b> A (upper drawing), the first arm 411 moves upward from the bottom along with the rotation (right rotation) of the second connecting pipe 22, but the second arm 412 has a spring slot 422. It is in contact with the lower spring retaining frame 421 without moving in a fixed position. As a result, torque is generated in the torsion spring member 41A, so that a force acts on the second connecting pipe 22 so as to move from right to left. Note that the torsion spring member 41B rotates (rotates right) together with the second connecting pipe 22 in the same manner as the torsion spring member 41A when turning left, and no torque is generated.

  Thus, the two torsion spring members 41A and 41B give a repulsive force that returns the second connecting pipe 22 inclined in the turning direction to the original state (front-rear direction) with the left and right turning. become. Therefore, since the suction tool 10 can be returned to the straight traveling state immediately after turning left and right, the possibility that the suction tool 10 may fluctuate due to its own weight can be suppressed. As a result, the operability of the suction tool 10 can be further improved.

[Storing state of suction tool]
Next, an example of a configuration for changing the suction tool 10 from the use state to the housed state will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 14 (a), 14 (b), 15 and 16. FIG.

  The suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment is intended to improve operability not only in operability during use but also in switching between a storage state and a use state. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, a case where the suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment is attached to the main body 51 of the upright type vacuum cleaner is taken as an example. As shown in FIG. 14A, when the suction tool 10 is used, the center of gravity axis Cb of the suction tool 10 indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing is located on the wheel portion 13. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 (b), when the suction tool 10 is stored, the center of gravity axis Cb is located between the suction tool body 11 and the wheel portion 13. In addition, the center of gravity axis Cb during use may be behind the wheel portion 13.

  In the state of use, since the main body 51 is located behind, the center of gravity is located near the wheel 13 or behind the wheel 13. Thereby, a user becomes easy to incline the wheel part 13, and as a result, operativity improves more. On the other hand, in the housed state, the user simply moves the main body 51 forward, and the center of gravity moves forward as compared to when in use. Thereby, since it can stabilize by the positional relationship that the main-body part 51 is mounted directly on the suction tool 10, it becomes possible to accommodate an upright type vacuum cleaner in the stable state. The change in the center of gravity is the same even when the suction tool 10 is connected to a connecting pipe or the like of a canister type vacuum cleaner. Therefore, if it is the structure which can change the gravity center of the suction tool 10, the switching of a storage state and a use state will also become easy and the operativity can be improved more.

  Here, it is preferable that the wheel portion 13 does not tilt (swing) as much as possible in the housed state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the wheel portion 13 includes a lever mechanism 33 that abuts against a part of the third connection pipe 23 so as to be engageable. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14A, the lever mechanism 33 is positioned below in the use state, but at this time, the engagement between the lever mechanism 33 and the third connection pipe 23 is released. Thus, the third connecting pipe 23 swings backward, and the protrusion 231 provided on the third connecting pipe 23 rotates forward along with the swing.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14B, in the stored state, the lever mechanism 33 is pushed up in conjunction with the swinging of the third connecting pipe 23 by swinging the third connecting pipe 23 forward. . At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, the engaging portion 331 of the lever mechanism 33 can be engaged with the engaged portion 232 positioned on the outer periphery of the swinging portion of the third connecting pipe 23. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 14B, the protrusion 231 provided on the third connecting pipe 23 rotates downward from the front. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 15, the protrusion 231 contacts the upper surface 32 a of the wheel support body 32, so that the tilting operation of the wheel portion 13 can be limited.

  The contact of the protruding portion 231 will be specifically described. As described above, the third connecting pipe 23 is in the front-rear direction (swing direction M3, see FIG. 11A) with respect to the second connecting pipe 22. Although it can swing, a projection 231 that rotates with the swing of the third connecting tube 23 is provided around the swing shaft S3 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B). Since the swing shaft S3 is located in the left-right direction, the protrusion 231 rotates in the front-rear direction. Therefore, at the time of storage, as shown in FIG. 15, the protrusion 231 may be brought into contact with the upper surface 32 a of the wheel support 32 by swinging the third connecting pipe 23 forward. Thereby, the inclination of the wheel part 13 (wheel support body 32) is restrict | limited by the friction of the projection part 231 and the upper surface 32a.

  Thus, if the suction tool 10 includes the lever mechanism 33 and the protrusion 231 of the third connection pipe 23, the contact between the protrusion 231 and the wheel portion 13 is released in the use state. If the second connection pipe 22 (and the third connection pipe 23) is rotated about the rotation axis S2, the position of the wheel portion 13 with respect to the suction tool body 11 changes so as to be inclined.

  In other words, in the state of use, when the second connecting tube 22 is rotated around the rotation axis S2, the mounting position of the wheel portion 13 is not changed, but is rotated around the rotation axis S2. The wheel 31 positioned in the same direction as the direction approaches the suction tool main body 11, and the wheel 13 positioned in the opposite direction moves away from the suction tool main body 11.

  On the other hand, in the housed state, the third connecting pipe 23 and the lever mechanism 33 are engaged with each other, so that the swing of the third connecting pipe 23 is restricted and the protrusion 231 of the third connecting pipe 23 is used. Is in contact with the wheel portion 13, the tilting operation of the wheel portion 13 is limited.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the lever mechanism 33 is provided with an engaging portion 332 that engages with the second connecting pipe 22, and the engaged portion 222 that engages with the engaging portion 332. May be provided in the second connecting pipe 22. In the example shown in FIG. 16, a convex engaging portion 332 is provided on a part of the lever mechanism 33, and a hook-like engaged portion corresponding to the engaging portion 332 is provided on the second connecting pipe 22. 222 is provided. Accordingly, by operating the lever mechanism 33, the lever mechanism 33 engages not only with the third connection pipe 23 but also with the second connection pipe 22, so that the third connection pipe 23 also has the second connection pipe 22. Is also fixed. As a result, the contact state between the upper surface 32a of the wheel support 32 and the protrusion 231 is also stably maintained. Therefore, unless the lever mechanism 33 is operated, the restriction of the tilting operation of the wheel portion 13 is stably maintained. be able to.

[Modification]
The suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment includes the third connection pipe 23 as a tubular member constituting the connection pipe portion 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and there is no third connection pipe 23. May be. As described above, the second connecting pipe 22, the wheel portion 13, and the wheel mounting portion 14 greatly contribute to the operability of the suction tool 10 in the use state, and the first connecting pipe 21 is the second connection. It is a tubular member that connects the tube 22 and the suction tool body 11. Therefore, the third connection pipe 23 is not an essential component for the connection pipe portion 12.

  In addition, the specific configuration of the wheel mounting portion 14 is limited to the configuration including the torsion spring members 41A and 41B, the mounting portion main body 42, the mounting shaft portion 43, and the shaft portion fastening member 44 described in the present embodiment. However, what is necessary is just to attach the wheel part 13 to the lower side of the 2nd connecting pipe 22 so that the wheel part 13 can be inclined in three dimensions. Further, the attachment portion main body 42 of the wheel attachment portion 14 is integrally provided at the center portion of the wheel support body 32, but the attachment portion main body 42 may be provided separately from the wheel support body 32.

  Further, as a configuration (switching means) for switching the suction tool 10 from the use state to the housed state, the lever mechanism 33 is used in the present embodiment, but is not limited to this, and other mechanical switching means. It may be a switching means that operates by electrical control.

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, an upright type vacuum cleaner will be specifically described as an example of the vacuum cleaner to which the suction tool 10 described in the first embodiment is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the upright type vacuum cleaner 50 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 51, a handle 52, a handle shaft 53, and the suction tool 10.

  The main body 51 has a substantially cylindrical shape, a dust collection chamber is provided at the upper part, and a suction motor (not shown) is incorporated at the lower part. The suction tool 10 is connected to the main body 51, and dust and the like sucked from the suction tool 10 by the operation of the suction motor is accumulated in the dust collection chamber inside the main body 51. In addition, a carrying handle 54 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 51, and the user can carry the upright type vacuum cleaner 50 by holding the carrying handle 54.

  A handle 52 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 51 via a handle shaft 53. The handle 52 is a gripping portion that is gripped by the user when in use, and is formed in an elliptical ring shape having a size that matches the size of an average palm.

  When using the upright type vacuum cleaner 50, first, the user turns on the power by pulling the power cord from the main body 51, inserting the power plug at the tip into the power outlet, and operating the power switch. As a result, the suction motor operates to generate a suction force at the suction port 111 of the suction tool 10, so that dust on the floor is sucked and accumulated in the dust collection chamber in the main body 51. The user can change the area of the floor surface to be cleaned by holding the handle 52 and moving the upright type vacuum cleaner 50 on the floor surface.

  In this embodiment, since the operability of the suction tool 10 is improved, even when the user wants to turn the upright type vacuum cleaner 50 small, the suction tool 10 can be moved without greatly twisting the handle 52. It can be swiveled easily. Therefore, the burden on the user's wrist can be reduced, and the operability can be further improved.

  The specific configuration of the upright type vacuum cleaner 50 shown in FIG. 17, that is, the configuration of the main body 51, the handle 52, and the like is not particularly limited, and various configurations known in the field of the upright type vacuum cleaner are preferably used. Can be used.

(Embodiment 3)
In the second embodiment, the upright type vacuum cleaner is used as the vacuum cleaner to which the suction tool 10 described in the first embodiment is applied. In the third embodiment, the canister type electric cleaner is used as the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner will be specifically described as an example.

  The canister type vacuum cleaner 60 according to the present embodiment includes a cleaner body 61, a suction hose 62, a hand operation unit 63, a suction extension pipe 64, and the suction tool 10.

  The cleaner body 61 includes an electric blower, a dust collection chamber, a power cord, and the like, and one end of the suction hose 62 is detachably connected. A hand operating portion 63 is provided at the other end of the suction hose 62, and one end of the suction extension pipe 64 is detachably connected to the tip of the hand operating portion 63. Further, the suction tool 10 is detachably attached to the other end of the suction extension pipe 64. In addition, a suction nozzle 65 is detachably attached below the hand operation unit 63, and the suction nozzle 65 can be attached to the tip of the hand operation unit 63 instead of the suction extension pipe 64.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 61 is provided with a suction motor and a dust collecting chamber. A suction force is generated by the operation of the suction motor, and the suction hose 62 and the suction extension pipe 64 are connected to the suction port 111 of the suction tool 10. A suction force is generated. In addition, a power cord is housed inside the cleaner body 61 so as to be drawable.

  When using the canister type vacuum cleaner 60, first, the user pulls the power cord from the cleaner body 61 and inserts the power plug at the tip into the power outlet when using the canister-type vacuum cleaner 60. Turn on the machine body 61. As a result, suction force is generated in the suction tool 10 by the operation of the suction motor, so that dust on the floor is sucked and collected in the dust collection chamber in the cleaner body 61 via the suction extension pipe 64 and the suction hose 62. It is done. The user changes the area of the floor surface to be cleaned by gripping the hand operation unit 63 and moving the position of the suction tool 10 on the floor surface. Moreover, when changing the place of cleaning, the vacuum cleaner main body 61 moves on the floor surface by pulling the suction hose 62.

  In this embodiment, since the operability of the suction tool 10 is improved, the suction tool 10 can be easily operated without greatly moving the hand operation unit 63 even when the user wants to turn the suction tool 10 small. Can be swiveled. Therefore, the burden on the user's wrist can be reduced, and the operability can be further improved.

  Note that the cleaner body 61 is provided with a handle (not shown), so that the cleaner body 61 can be lifted and moved. In addition, when it is desired to clean a narrow area such as a corner of a room or a furniture, not the floor surface, the suction extension pipe 64 or the suction tool 10 is removed, and a suction nozzle 65 is attached instead, and cleaning is performed. Can do.

  The specific configuration of the canister type vacuum cleaner 60 shown in FIG. 18, that is, the configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 61, the suction hose 62, the hand operating portion 63, the suction extension pipe 64, the suction nozzle 65, and the like is particularly limited. In addition, various configurations known in the field of canister-type vacuum cleaners can be suitably used.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the scope of the claims, and are disclosed in different embodiments and a plurality of modifications. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be suitably used in the field of vacuum cleaner suction tools, and can also be used widely and suitably in the field of vacuum cleaners using the suction tools.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vacuum cleaner suction tool 11 Suction tool main body 12 Connection pipe part 13 Wheel part 14 Wheel attachment part 21 First connection pipe 22 Second connection pipe 23 Third connection pipe 31 Wheel 32 Wheel support body 32a Wheel support body Upper surface 33 Lever mechanism 41A, 41B Torsion spring member 111 Suction port 222 Engagement part 231 Protrusion part 232 Engagement part 331 Engagement part 332 Engagement part Cb Center of gravity axis F Surface to be cleaned P0 Rotation surface S1 Attachment Axis S2 Rotating axis S3 Oscillating axis θ0 Rotating surface angle θ1 Mounting axis angle θ2 Rotating axis angle

Claims (16)

A suction tool body having a suction port on the lower surface;
A connecting pipe connected to the rear part of the suction tool body;
A traveling wheel provided in the connecting pipe, and
The connection pipe part has a first connection pipe having one end connected to the rear upper side of the suction tool main body, and a second connection connected to the other end of the first connection pipe so as to be rotatable in the axial direction. A tube, and at least
The wheel part is composed at least of a pair of left and right wheels and a wheel support that rotatably supports these wheels at both ends,
Furthermore, with the central part of the wheel support as a fulcrum , an attachment shaft that is an axis inclined forward along the front-rear direction of the connecting pipe part so that one of the pair of wheels is positioned in front of the other ; through the mounting shaft portion attached to the wheel support at the lower side of the second connection tube to be, characterized in that it includes a wheel mount you rotate around the mounting shaft portion,
Vacuum cleaner suction tool. The wheel mounting portion is mounted at a position along the lower surface of the second connecting pipe so that the wheel portion can be rotated around the mounting shaft .
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 1. The wheel mounting portion includes a torsion spring member that urges the second connection pipe inclined with the inclination of the wheel support body to the side opposite to the inclination direction. Item 3. A vacuum cleaner suction tool according to Item 2. The mounting shaft angle θ1, which is an angle formed by the mounting shaft with respect to the surface to be cleaned, is an acute angle,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 2 or 3. The mounting shaft angle θ1 is in the range of 5 to 45 °,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 4. Rotating surface angle that is an angle formed by the rotating surface with respect to the surface to be cleaned when a surface on which the second connecting tube connected to the first connecting tube rotates is a rotating surface. These connecting pipes are connected so that θ0 is an acute angle larger than the mounting shaft angle θ1.
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 4 or 5 . When the center of rotation of the second connection pipe relative to the first connection pipe is a rotation axis,
The direction of the pivot shaft and the direction of the mounting shaft are in a positional relationship intersecting each other,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to any one of claims 2 to 6 . The pivot shaft is turning shaft angle θ2 is the angle formed with respect to the surface to be cleaned is characterized in that it is in the range of 5 to 45 °,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 7 . The connection pipe portion further includes a third connection pipe connected to be swingable in the front-rear direction at the other end of the second connection pipe,
The position of the wheel mounting portion in the second connection pipe is forward of the position of the swing shaft of the third connection pipe,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . When using the vacuum cleaner attached to a vacuum cleaner, the center of gravity axis is located on or behind the wheel part, and when stored, the center of gravity axis is located between the suction tool body and the wheel part. Further, the relative position of the wheel portion with respect to the suction tool body is configured to be changeable,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 9 . The wheel part is provided with a lever mechanism that restricts the tilting operation of the wheel part by its operation,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 10 . The third connection pipe includes a protrusion that rotates with the oscillation of the third connection pipe around the oscillation axis of the third connection pipe,
At the time of storage, the protrusion is brought into contact with the upper surface of the wheel support body by swinging of the third connecting pipe, so that the tilting operation of the wheel part is limited. ,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 10 or 11 . The lever mechanism is provided with an engaging portion that can be brought into contact with the third connecting pipe by an operation thereof,
The contact portion of the engaging portion in the third connection pipe is configured as an engaged portion having a shape corresponding to the engaging portion.
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 11 . When using the vacuum cleaner attached to a vacuum cleaner, the center of gravity axis is located on or behind the wheel part, and when stored, the center of gravity axis is located between the suction tool body and the wheel part. Further, the relative position of the wheel portion with respect to the suction tool body is configured to be changeable,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The wheel part is provided with a lever mechanism that restricts the tilting operation of the wheel part by its operation,
The vacuum cleaner suction tool according to claim 14. A vacuum cleaner provided with the vacuum cleaner suction tool of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 15 .

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