JP7224942B2 - dust collector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dust collector for collecting dust.

Various dust collectors have been developed for collecting dust (see Patent Document 1). A dust collector includes a housing formed with an inlet through which dust flows, and a dust collecting mechanism configured to suck dust into the housing from the inlet.

JP 2015-39378 A

Since dust is collected inside the housing through the inlet, an operator performs dust collection work around the inlet to collect dust inside the housing.

The dust collecting mechanism described above has an operation button arranged on the upper surface of the housing. The operation button is manually operated by an operator to activate and deactivate the dust collecting mechanism. Therefore, the operator needs to operate the operation button in addition to the dust collection work around the inlet. This makes the operator feel troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology capable of operating a dust collection mechanism with high reliability without bothering an operator.

A dust collector according to one aspect of the present invention is used to collect dust. A dust collector requires a housing having a front surface formed with an inlet for inflow of dust , a dust collecting mechanism for drawing dust into the housing through the inlet, and starting and stopping of the dust collecting mechanism. and a first scraping portion and a second scraping portion each having a lower edge configured to scrape dust . The operation request unit includes a switch piece that is displaced between an on position for starting the dust collecting mechanism and an off position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism . The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position that does not overlap the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet , and is displaced from the OFF position to the ON position by receiving an external force , and the external force disappears. is configured to return from the ON position to the OFF position in response to the The front surface is defined by an upper front wall and a recessed front wall recessed rearwardly below the upper front wall. The first scraping portion protrudes downward within the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall such that the lower edge of the first scraping portion is arranged at a position spaced upward from the floor surface. The lower edge of the second scraping portion is positioned higher and forward than the lower edge of the first scraping portion .

According to the above configuration, the dust is drawn into the housing through the inlet, so the dust collecting operation for collecting the dust into the dust collector is performed around the inlet. Since the switch piece is arranged next to the inflow port, the worker can apply an external force to the switch piece while performing dust collection work. For example, an operator can bring a cleaning tool with dust adhering to it close to the inlet and use the cleaning tool to apply an external force to the switch piece. Since the switch piece receives an external force and is displaced from the off position to the on position, the operator can activate the dust collecting mechanism during a series of dust collecting operations. After the dust collecting operation, the external force acting on the switch piece is lost. For example, when the operator moves the cleaner away from the inlet, no external force acts on the switch piece. At this time, the switch piece returns from the ON position to the OFF position, so the dust collection mechanism is stopped upon completion of the dust collection operation. The first scraping portion protrudes downward at a position below the second scraping portion. Since the lower edge of the first scraping part is positioned upwardly away from the floor surface, the operator inserts the object to be dust-removed into the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall to can be placed in the space between the lower edge of the At this time, the lower edge of the first scraping portion hits the upper surface of the object to be dust-removed. Since the lower edge of the first scraping portion is configured to scrape dust, the dust on the upper surface of the object to be dust removed is scraped by the lower edge of the first scraping portion. Since the lower edge of the second scraping portion is arranged at a position higher than that of the first scraping portion, it can be suitably used to scrape dust from the upper surface of a relatively thick object to be dust-removed. Since the lower edge of the second scraping section is located forward of the lower edge of the first scraping section, the thick dust removal target can be moved by the second scraping section without being hindered by the first scraping section. placed below.
A dust collector according to another aspect of the present invention is used to collect dust. The dust collector includes a housing having a front surface formed with an inlet for inflow of dust, a dust collecting mechanism for drawing dust into the housing through the inlet, and an operation requesting unit for requesting start and stop of the dust collecting mechanism. and have. The operation requesting part has a switch piece that is displaced between an ON position for starting the dust collecting mechanism and an OFF position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism. The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position not overlapping the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, receives an external force, is displaced from the off position to the on position, and changes to the on position in response to the disappearance of the external force. to the OFF position. The front surface is formed with an opening complementary to the cross section of the switch piece so as to allow the switch piece to protrude and retract. The dust collector has a push-out portion protruding from the switch piece behind the boundary formed by the opening between the switch piece and the front surface so as to push out of the housing any object that has entered the housing through the opening. is further provided.
According to the above configuration, the switch piece has a complementary cross section to the opening, so most of the opening is closed by the switch piece. Therefore, dust is less likely to enter the housing through the opening. However, since the opening forms a boundary between the switch piece and the front surface of the housing, objects thinner than the boundary (eg, coins) may enter the housing through the boundary. Since the extruded part protrudes from the switch piece behind the boundary, the above-mentioned objects are caught on the extruded part and are difficult to enter completely into the housing. When the switch piece is displaced from the ON position to the OFF position, the pushing portion moves forward together with the switch piece and approaches the opening. As a result, the object that has incompletely entered the housing is pushed out of the housing by the pushing portion.
A dust collector according to still another aspect of the present invention is used to collect dust. The dust collector includes a housing having a front surface formed with an inlet for inflow of dust, a dust collecting mechanism for drawing dust into the housing through the inlet, and an operation requesting unit for requesting start and stop of the dust collecting mechanism. and have. The operation requesting part has a switch piece that is displaced between an ON position for starting the dust collecting mechanism and an OFF position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism. The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position not overlapping the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, receives an external force, is displaced from the off position to the on position, and changes to the on position in response to the disappearance of the external force. to the OFF position. An opening is formed in the front surface to allow the switch piece to appear and retract. The housing has a bottom wall with an outlet located below the operating area of the switch piece in the housing, and a leg projecting downward from the bottom wall.
According to the above configuration, small dust that has entered the housing through the opening is discharged to the outside of the housing as follows. Since the legs protrude downward from the bottom wall, a space is formed between the bottom wall and the floor surface. Since the bottom wall is formed with a discharge port positioned below the operating area of the switch piece in the housing, small dust that enters the housing along with the switch piece that enters the opening falls inside the housing. Then, it is discharged into the space below the bottom wall through the discharge port.

Since the switch piece is arranged at a position that does not overlap the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, it is less likely to come into contact with dust drawn into the housing through the inlet. Therefore, the risk of the displacement of the switch piece being disturbed by dust is low. That is, the function requested by the operation requesting unit for starting and stopping the dust collection mechanism is maintained with high reliability.

Regarding the above configuration, the switch piece may be arranged on the side of the inlet.

According to the above configuration, the dust collector can be suitably used for removing dust from a horizontally elongated object to be removed, as described below. Since the switch piece is arranged on the side of the inflow port, when the operator brings the oblong dust removal object close to the inflow port, the switch piece hits the dust removal object and receives an external force. As a result, the switch piece is displaced from the OFF position to the ON position, and the dust collecting mechanism is activated.

With respect to the above configuration, the operation requesting unit may include another switch piece arranged on the opposite side of the inflow port to the switch piece so as to sandwich the inflow port and the switch piece. The other switch piece may be displaced from the OFF position to the ON position by receiving an external force, and may return from the ON position to the OFF position in response to the disappearance of the external force.

According to the above configuration, the two switch pieces are arranged on the side of the inflow port so as to sandwich the inflow port. An external force can be applied to one side.

Regarding the above configuration, the operation request unit may activate the dust collection mechanism when at least one of the two switch pieces is displaced from the off position to the on position.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to operate the dust collection mechanism as described below, even for an object to be dust-removed whose width is narrower than the arrangement interval between the two switch pieces. It is possible to displace one of the two switch pieces from the off position to the on position even for a dust removal object having a width narrower than the arrangement interval of the two switch pieces. Even if only one of the two switch pieces is displaced from the off position to the on position, the operation requesting unit activates the dust collecting mechanism. Therefore, even when dust is to be removed from an object with a narrow width, the operator can displace one switch piece to the off position to start removing dust from the object to be dust removed.

With respect to the above configuration , the operation requesting unit is configured to cause the dust collection mechanism to continue collecting dust until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the switch piece was displaced from the on position to the off position. may

According to the above configuration, the operation requesting section causes the dust collection mechanism to continue dust collection until the predetermined period elapses after the switch piece is displaced from the on position to the off position. Therefore, if dust remains around the inlet after the external force disappears, the dust collecting mechanism can suck the dust around the inlet.

With respect to the above arrangement, the switch strip may include a front edge surface forming the front end of the switch strip and extending in the height direction.

According to the above configuration, the dust collector can be suitably used for removing dust from an object to be removed, in which the soft portion and the hard portion are arranged in the vertical direction. For example, if the object to be dusted is a mop, the soft portion is formed by mop bristles, and the portion to which the mop bristles are implanted is the hard portion. Since the front edge surface of the switch piece forms the front end of the switch piece, it is susceptible to external forces. At this time, since the leading edge surface extends in the height direction, it hits both the soft portion and the hard portion arranged in the vertical direction. Although the external force exerted by the soft portion on the leading edge surface of the switch piece may not be sufficient to displace the switch piece from the off position to the on position, the hard portion exerts a greater external force on the front edge of the switch piece than the soft portion. Give it to the edge. The switch piece can thus be reliably displaced from the off position to the on position.

With respect to the above configurations , the switch strip may have a front edge surface forming the front end of the switch strip and extending in the height direction . An opening may be formed in the concave front wall to allow the switch piece to protrude and retract . The switch piece may be displaced from the off position to the on position by retracting into the opening . The front edge surface of the switch piece may be positioned rearward of the upper front wall when the switch piece is in the off position.

According to the above configuration, when the switch piece is in the off position, the front edge surface of the switch piece is located behind the upper front wall of the housing. That is, the front end of the switch piece is within the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall. Therefore, even if the housing falls forward, the switch piece will not be pushed by the floor surface. When the housing is tilted forward, the switch piece does not sink into the opening and does not move from the off position to the on position. That is, the dust collection mechanism is prevented from being unintentionally activated.

With respect to the above configuration , the operation requesting section has a signal generating section that outputs a dust collection request signal requesting the dust collecting mechanism to collect dust when the switch piece is displaced from the off position to the on position. It may include a dust collection command unit . The housing may be configured to form an isolated space separated from other spaces in the housing at a position corresponding to a portion where the switch piece is inserted from the opening . The signal generator may be arranged in another space.

According to the above configuration, the signal generating section of the dust collection command section is arranged in another space separated from the separated space formed at the position corresponding to the insertion portion of the switch piece from the opening. Dust entering the isolated space through the opening does not contact the signal generator. Therefore, the risk of dust causing failure of the signal generator is reduced.

Regarding the above configuration, the dust collector may further include a power cord for supplying power to the dust collector . The housing may include a rear wall erected between the front and rear ends of the bottom wall such that the bottom wall projects rearward . The power cord may extend out of the housing from the rear wall.

According to the above configuration, since the bottom wall protrudes rearward beyond the rear wall, when the dust collector is arranged so that the rear wall faces the wall of the building, the bottom wall from the rear wall A space is formed between the wall and the rear wall of the building by the amount of protrusion. Since the power cord extends from the rear wall to the outside of the housing, it can be extended using this space.

Regarding the above configuration, the dust collector may further include a power cord for supplying power to the dust collector. A housing recess for housing the power cord may be formed on the outer surface of the housing.

According to the above configuration, when the dust collector is not in use, the power cord is accommodated in the accommodation recess on the outer surface of the housing.

Regarding the above configuration, the dust collector may further include a bumper portion projecting forward from the front surface of the housing . The bumper section may be softer than the housing .

According to the above configuration, since the bumper portion protrudes forward from the front surface of the housing, an object used during dust collection (for example, a mop handle) hits the bumper portion before the housing. Cheap. Therefore, the housing is protected by the bumper portion from contact with objects used during the dust collection operation. Since the bumper section is softer than the housing, it is less likely to make a loud noise even if it comes into contact with an object used during dust collection work.

Regarding the above configuration, the bumper section may be removable from the housing.

According to the above configuration, the bumper section is detachable from the housing, so that it can be replaced even if it is damaged due to contact with the object to be dust-removed.

The dust collecting device described above can operate the dust collecting mechanism with high reliability without bothering the operator.

1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary dust collector; FIG. It is a schematic perspective view of a dust collector. It is a schematic front view of a dust collector. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dust collector. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dust collector. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dust collector. FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of part of the dust collection mechanism of the dust collector. It is a schematic diagram of a power supply path from the power cord of the dust collector to the suction motor. It is a schematic perspective view of the switch piece of a dust collector. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dust collector. Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of a switch piece and an activation switch; Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of a switch piece and an activation switch; It is a schematic diagram of a power supply path from the power cord of the dust collector to the suction motor. 4 is a schematic flow chart representing an exemplary processing operation of a dust collection command unit of a dust collector;

1 and 2 are schematic perspective views of an exemplary dust collector 100. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the dust collector 100. FIG. The dust collector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

The dust collector 100 is configured to scrape dust from a cleaning tool (for example, a mop) after cleaning work, and to suck and collect the scraped dust. The dust collector 100 includes a housing 110 having an inlet 154 for inflow of dust and an internal space for collecting dust, and a dust collection mechanism ( not shown), and a first scraping portion 121 and a second scraping portion 122 for scraping dust from the cleaning tool. In addition, the dust collector 100 includes a power cord (not shown) that supplies power from an external power source to the dust collector.

The housing 110 includes a substantially hexagonal plate-shaped bottom wall 111 (see FIG. 2), a substantially rectangular plate-shaped top wall 112 (see FIG. 1) arranged at a position spaced upward from the bottom wall 111, It includes a substantially rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall 113 erected between the bottom wall 111 and the top wall 112 . Additionally, housing 110 includes four legs 171 - 174 attached to bottom wall 111 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the bottom wall 111 includes a substantially rectangular main plate portion 131 positioned immediately below the bottom wall 111 and a substantially trapezoidal projecting portion 132 projecting rearward from the main plate portion 131 . there is Four substantially rectangular outlets 133 are formed at two front corners of the four corners of the main plate portion 131 . These outlets 133 are elongated in the front-rear direction. These discharge ports 133 are used to discharge dust that has unintentionally entered the internal space of the housing 110 . The projecting portion 132 is formed to separate the dust collector 100 from the wall of the building in which the dust collector 100 is installed.

The leg portions 171 and 172 are generally rectangular plate-like portions projecting downward from the main plate portion 131 so as to be adjacent to the rear end of the discharge port 133 . The leg portions 173 and 174 are substantially rectangular plate-shaped protruding downward from the main plate portion 131 (that is, toward the floor surface on which the dust collector 100 is installed) at two corner portions on the rear side of the main plate portion 131. It is a part. These legs 171-174 have a predetermined thickness and space the bottom wall 111 slightly from the floor surface.

Perimeter wall 113 includes upper front wall 134 , concave front wall 135 , rear wall 136 , right wall 137 and left wall 138 . The right wall 137 and the left wall 138 are substantially rectangular plate-like portions erected from the right edge and left edge of the main plate portion 131 of the bottom wall 111 . Right wall 137 and left wall 138 are laterally spaced from each other.

The rear wall 136 is a substantially rectangular plate-like portion that stands up from the bottom wall 111 between the front end and the rear end of the bottom wall 111 . The rear wall 136 is erected from a position between the main plate portion 131 and the projecting portion 132 of the bottom wall 111 . Accordingly, the protrusion 132 of the bottom wall 111 protrudes rearward from the rear wall 136 . Rear wall 136 is connected to the rear edges of right wall 137 and left wall 138 . The rear wall 136 includes a substantially rectangular exhaust area 141 with multiple exhaust ports. The exhaust area 141 is formed substantially in the center in the height direction. An exhaust port in the exhaust area 141 is used for exhausting the air used for sucking dust. Below the exhaust area 141, the rear wall 136 is provided with a connection port 142 to which a power cord is connected and a housing recess 143 for housing the power cord when the dust collector 100 is not in use. The connection port 142 is formed closer to the right wall 137 than the accommodation recess 143 is. The accommodation recess 143 is formed closer to the left wall 138 than the connection port 142 . A laterally elongated recess 144 is formed in the rear wall 136 above the exhaust area 141 . The concave portion 144 is used for carrying the dust collector 100 .

An upper front wall 134 and a concave front wall 135 are spaced forwardly from the rear wall 136 and form the front surface of the housing 110 . 1, 3 and 4, upper front wall 134 and concave front wall 135 are described. FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the dust collector 100 on an imaginary plane parallel to the right wall 137 and left wall 138. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the concave front wall 135 forms a concave space recessed rearward between the upper front wall 134 and the bottom wall 111 . The concave front wall 135 is described in three wall sections with reference to FIG. One of these wall portions is a portion that protrudes rearward from the lower edge of the upper front wall 134 and will be referred to as an "upper mounting wall 145" in the following description. Another wall portion is formed so as to bend downward from the rear edge of the upper mounting wall 145, and will be referred to as the "middle mounting wall 146" in the following description. The remaining one wall portion protrudes rearward from the lower edge of the middle mounting wall 146 and is referred to as the "lower mounting wall 147" in the following description. These mounting walls 145 , 146 , 147 are used for mounting the first scraping portion 121 and the second scraping portion 122 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate mounting wall 146 is a substantially C-shaped plate-like portion that opens downward when viewed from the front. The middle mounting wall 146 has three plate-like portions. One of these plate-like portions is arranged at a corner formed by the bottom wall 111 and the right wall 137, and will be referred to as a "right plate portion 151" in the following description. Another plate-like portion is arranged at the corner formed by the bottom wall 111 and the left wall 138, and will be referred to as the "left plate portion 152" in the following description. The remaining plate-like portion extends laterally between the right plate portion 151 and the left plate portion 152, and is referred to as a "center plate portion 153" in the following description. The lower edge of the central plate portion 153 extends laterally at a position higher than the bottom wall 111, and between the lower edge of the central plate portion 153 and the front edge of the bottom wall 111, there is a flow of dust. An inlet 154 is formed. A substantially rectangular opening 155 elongated in the vertical direction is formed in each of the right plate portion 151 and the left plate portion 152 .

5 and 6 are referred to regarding the internal structure of the housing 110. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of dust collector 100 on an imaginary first vertical plane set near right wall 137 and parallel to right wall 137 . FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of dust collector 100 on an imaginary second vertical plane set perpendicular to the first vertical plane near upper front wall 134 and concave front wall 135 .

The housing 110 has a pair of left and right partition structures at the corner formed by the bottom wall 111 and the right wall 137 and the corner formed by the bottom wall 111 and the left wall 138 . These partition structures form a pair of separated spaces behind the right plate portion 151 and the left plate portion 152 of the middle mounting wall 146 and separated from other spaces in the housing 110 . The separated space formed by the partition structure on the right side forms an internal space connected to two discharge ports 133 formed at the right front corner of the bottom wall 111 . The separated space formed by the left partition wall structure forms an internal space connected to two outlets 133 formed at the left front corner of the bottom wall 111 . These internal spaces are also connected to the openings 155 described above. The right septum structure is described below. The partition structure on the left is symmetrical with the partition structure on the right. The description of the right bulkhead structure is incorporated into the left bulkhead structure in view of the bilaterally symmetrical structure.

The partition structure includes an upper partition 161 , a rear partition 162 , a front partition 163 , a left support wall 164 and a right support wall 165 . The upper partition wall portion 161 is a substantially rectangular plate-like portion having a posture substantially parallel to the bottom wall 111 at a position spaced upward from the bottom wall 111 . The upper partition wall portion 161 is arranged at a position higher than the upper mounting wall 145 of the concave front wall 135 . The rear partition wall portion 162 is a substantially rectangular portion erected from the bottom wall 111 toward the rear edge of the upper partition wall portion 161 . The front partition wall portion 163 is a plate-like portion bent downward from the front edge of the upper partition wall portion 161 and connected to the upper edge of the middle mounting wall 146 of the concave front wall 135 . The left support wall 164 is erected between the bottom wall 111 and the upper partition wall portion 161 along the left edge of the right opening portion 155 . A through hole 166 is formed in the left support wall 164 . The right support wall 165 is a substantially trapezoidal plate-like portion projecting downward from the upper partition wall portion 161 at a position spaced right from the left support wall 164 by a distance slightly longer than the width of the opening 155 . A through hole 167 substantially coaxial with the through hole 166 of the left support wall 164 is formed in the right support wall 165 . A lower edge of the upper partition wall portion 161 is spaced upward from the bottom wall 111 .

The first scraping part 121 is a plate-like member fixed to the lower mounting wall 147 of the concave front wall 135, as shown in FIG. The first scraping portion 121 is long in the horizontal direction. The first scraping portion 121 protrudes downward from the lower mounting wall 147 and covers the upper portion of the inlet 154 within the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall 135 . The lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 is positioned higher than the bottom wall 111 and is formed in a corrugated shape (see FIG. 1).

The second scraping part 122 is a plate-like member fixed to a corner formed by the upper mounting wall 145 and the middle mounting wall 146, as shown in FIG. The second scraping portion 122 is long in the lateral direction. The lower edge of the second scraping portion 122 is positioned forward and higher than the lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 and is formed in a wave shape (see FIG. 1). The corrugated shape of the lower edges of the first scraping portion 121 and the second scraping portion 122 is suitable for removing dust from the upper surface of the bristles of the mop.

The dust collection mechanism is indicated generally at 200 in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded perspective view of part of the dust collection mechanism 200. FIG. The dust collecting mechanism 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7. FIG.

The dust collecting mechanism 200 includes a dust collecting portion 210 in which dust is stored, a pipe portion 220 for guiding dust and air sucked together with the dust from the inlet 154 to the dust collecting portion 210, and a suction force generated in the inlet 154. and a suction mechanism 230 . The tube portion 220 forms a substantially C-shaped channel extending along the bottom wall 111 , the rear wall 136 and the top wall 112 . The dust collecting part 210 and the suction mechanism 230 are arranged in the area surrounded by the C-shaped pipe part 220 . The suction mechanism 230 is arranged below the dust collecting section 210 .

The pipe portion 220 includes an upstream pipe portion 221 installed on the bottom wall 111 , an intermediate pipe portion 222 forming a flow path extending upward from the upstream pipe portion 221 , the intermediate pipe portion 222 and the dust collection portion 210 . and a downstream pipe portion 223 that connects the

As shown in FIG. 7 , the upstream pipe portion 221 includes a trapezoidal pipe portion 224 forming a tapered flow path that narrows rearward from the inlet 154 and a bent upward from the rear end of the trapezoidal pipe portion 224 . and tube 225 . A large number of sound emitting holes are formed in the upper surface of the trapezoidal tube portion 224 . The sound emission hole is formed to emit sound produced by air flowing through the tapered flow path. A front end of the trapezoidal tube portion 224 is fitted into the inlet 154 . The curved tube portion 225 curves upward from the rear end of the trapezoidal tube portion 224 along the corner formed by the bottom wall 111 and the rear wall 136 . A downstream end of the bent tube portion 225 is open upward.

The intermediate tube portion 222 forms a substantially J-shaped channel. The upstream end of the intermediate pipe portion 222 is connected to the downstream end of the bent pipe portion 225 . The intermediate pipe portion 222 extends from the downstream end of the bent pipe portion 225 along the rear wall 136 and curves along the corner formed by the rear wall 136 and the top wall 112 . A downstream end of the intermediate tube portion 222 opens forward.

An elbow pipe is used as the downstream pipe portion 223 . The upstream end of the downstream pipe portion 223 is connected to the downstream end of the intermediate pipe portion 222 . The downstream pipe portion 223 is bent downward and connected to the upper portion of the dust collection portion 210 .

The dust collecting portion 210 is formed using an air-permeable bag body that traps dust and allows passage of air sucked together with the dust. The dust collector 210 is fixed inside the housing 110 at a position higher than the upper edge of the upper front wall 134 and lower than the top wall 112 .

The suction mechanism 230 is located behind the upper front wall 134 and forward of the intermediate tube portion 222 . The suction mechanism 230 is fixed above the trapezoidal tube portion 224 and below the dust collecting portion 210 . The suction mechanism 230 includes a suction fan 231 configured to suck air in the dust collecting section 210 downward, and a suction motor 232 that drives the suction fan 231 . The suction motor 232 is arranged below the suction fan 231 .

The dust collector 100 further has a sound absorbing structure that absorbs sound emitted from the air flowing through the tapered flow path (see FIG. 7). The sound absorbing structure is formed above the region of the trapezoidal tube portion 224 in which a large number of sound emitting holes are formed. The sound absorbing structure has a substantially trapezoidal plate-shaped sound absorbing member 241 and a box portion forming an accommodation space in which the sound absorbing member 241 is accommodated. The box portion includes a housing wall portion 242 erected from the upper surface of the trapezoidal pipe portion 224 so as to surround an area in which a large number of sound emission holes are formed in the trapezoidal pipe portion 224, and a housing space formed by the housing wall portion 242. It is formed using a substantially trapezoidal lid portion 243 that holds the sound absorbing member 241 therein. The sound absorbing member 241 closes many sound emitting holes formed in the upper surface of the trapezoidal tube portion 224 . The sound absorbing member 241 is complementary to the accommodation space formed by the accommodation wall portion 242 . The accommodation space formed by the accommodation wall portion 242 opens upward. The lid portion 243 covers the housing wall portion 242 and the sound absorbing member 241 and is fixed to the housing wall portion 242 .

The dust collector 100 further comprises a drawer 250 inserted into the opening area between the upper edge of the upper front wall 134 and the front edge of the top wall 112 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The drawer portion 250 is drawn forward from the housing 110 . The dust collection section 210 is fixed to the drawer section 250 inside the housing 110 . When the drawer portion 250 is drawn forward, the dust collecting portion 210 is exposed to the outside of the housing 110 .

The dust collector 100 further includes a bumper portion 260 arranged along the lower edge of the upper front wall 134 . Bumper portion 260 is used to prevent housing 110 and drawer portion 250 from being damaged due to contact with a hard part of the cleaning tool (for example, a mop handle). The bumper portion 260 is attached to the upper front wall 134 so as to protrude forward from the upper front wall 134 . Bumper portion 260 is removable from upper front wall 134 . Bumper portion 260 is made of a material that is softer than the material (for example, hard resin) used to form housing 110 and drawer portion 250 .

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the power supply path from the power cord 300 to the suction motor 232. As shown in FIG. The power supply path will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 8. FIG.

The dust collector 100 includes a main switch 310 and an operation request section 330 in addition to the power cord 300 as power supply parts to the suction motor 232 .

Power cord 300 includes a plug 301 connected to an external power source, a connector 302 inserted into connection port 142 of rear wall 136 , and a power cable 303 extending between plug 301 and connector 302 . When the dust collector 100 is not in use, the power cord 300 is housed within the housing recess 143 of the rear wall 136 .

The main switch 310 comprises a main switch circuit 311 arranged on a power supply path extending from the connector 302 to the suction motor 232, and a switch button 312 (see FIG. 2) exposed at the right end of the recess 144 of the rear wall 136. contains. The main switch circuit 311 closes or opens the electrical circuit formed between the connector 302 and the suction motor 232 according to manual operation of the switch button 312 .

The operation requesting unit 330 is configured to request the dust collector 100 to start and stop. The operation request unit 330 includes a pair of switch pieces 331 and 332, a start switch 361, and a capacitor 362. The operation request unit 330 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 10 . FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the switch piece 331. FIG. The switch piece 332 has a symmetrical structure with the switch piece 331 . The description for the switch piece 331 applies to the switch piece 332 in consideration of the symmetrical structure. FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the dust collector 100. FIG. The switch piece 331 shown in FIG. 10 is different in posture from the switch piece 331 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the switch piece 331 protrudes forward from the right plate portion 151 of the concave front wall 135 through the right opening 155 . The switch piece 332 protrudes forward from the left plate portion 152 of the concave front wall 135 through the left opening portion 155 . The switch piece 331 is positioned right next to the right end of the inlet 154 . The switch piece 332 is positioned to the left of the left end of the inlet 154 . That is, these switch pieces 331 and 332 are located on the sides of the inlet 154 . The inflow port 154 is positioned between these switch pieces 331 and 332 , and these switch pieces 331 and 332 do not overlap with the inflow port 154 in the opening direction of the inflow port 154 . The arrangement interval of the switch pieces 331 and 332 is slightly larger than the width of the inlet 154 .

The switch piece 331 includes a laterally extending shaft portion 334 , a switch plate 335 arranged at a position spaced downward from the shaft portion 334 , and integrated with the switch plate 335 and the shaft portion 334 so as to connect the switch plate 335 and the shaft portion 334 . and connecting rods 336 which are typically formed. Axle 334 and connecting rod 336 are disposed within the above-described space. A portion of the switch plate 335 is arranged in the isolated space. The remaining portion of switch plate 335 protrudes from housing 110 through opening 155 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the right end of the shaft portion 334 of the switch piece 331 is fitted into the through hole 167 of the right support wall 165 . The shaft portion 334 is inserted through the through hole 166 of the left support wall 164 . As a result, the switch piece 331 is supported by the right support wall 165 and the left support wall 164 . The switch piece 331 rotates around the shaft portion 334 and appears and disappears with respect to the opening portion 155 . As a result of pivoting about shaft 334, switch piece 331 can be displaced between the position shown in FIG. 5 and the position shown in FIG. The position shown in FIG. 5 is referred to as the "off position" in the following discussion. When the switch piece 331 is in the OFF position, the dust collecting mechanism 200 is stopped. The position shown in Figure 10 is referred to as the "on position". The dust collection mechanism 200 is in operation when the switch piece 331 is in the ON position. The amount of protrusion of the switch piece 331 from the opening 155 when the switch piece 331 is in the OFF position is larger than the amount of protrusion of the switch piece 331 from the opening 155 when the switch piece 331 is in the ON position. The bottom wall 111 is formed with an outlet 133, which has been described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the switch plate 335 has a front edge surface 337 and an inclined edge surface 338 that slopes rearward and upward from the upper end of the front edge surface 337 . The front edge surface 337 and the inclined edge surface 338 are exposed outside the housing 110 even when the switch piece 331 is retracted into the housing 110 from the OFF position and reaches the ON position (see FIG. 10). A front edge surface 337 forms the front end of the switch plate 335 and extends in the height direction when the switch piece 331 is in the off position (see FIG. 4). At this time, the upper end of the front edge surface 337 is positioned higher than the lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 . The inclined edge surface 338 is positioned higher than the lower edge of the second scraping portion 122 . The front edge surface 337 is located behind the upper front wall 134 when the switch piece 331 is in the off position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of switch plate 335 is set to a value slightly smaller than the width of opening 155 . That is, the cross-sectional shape of switch plate 335 is complementary to the shape of opening 155 .

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of switch piece 331 and activation switch 361 in the off position. FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of switch piece 331 and activation switch 361 in the ON position. The switch piece 331 and the activation switch 361 are described with reference to FIGS. 10-12.

The switch piece 331 further has a pressing portion 339 projecting rearward from the shaft portion 334 . The pressing portion 339 is used to open and close the activation switch 361 .

The activation switch 361 is arranged above the separated space and fixed behind the pressing portion 339 . The start switch 361 has a lever structure that is mechanically operated by the pressing portion 339 . As shown in FIG. 11, when the switch piece 331 is in the OFF position, the start switch 361 is not pressed by the pressing portion 339 and is in the open state. As shown in FIG. 12, when the switch piece 331 is in the ON position, the start switch 361 is pushed by the pressing portion 339 and closed. After that, when the switch piece 331 returns to the OFF position, the lever portion of the start switch 361 (that is, the contact portion with the pressing portion 339) returns to its original position due to its own restoring force, and the start switch 361 returns to the open state. become.

Power is supplied to the suction motor 232 through the capacitor 362 when the activation switch 361 is in the closed state. During this time, a predetermined amount of power is stored in capacitor 362 . The power stored in capacitor 362 is consumed when activation switch 361 is subsequently opened.

As shown in FIG. 9, the dust collector 100 is formed integrally with the switch plate 335 of the right switch piece 331 in order to push out the plate-like object that has entered the space outside the housing 110. It has an extruded portion 350 . The extruded portion 350 provided on the left switch piece 332 is bilaterally symmetrical with the extruded portion 350 provided on the right switch piece 331 . Therefore, the following description of the push-out portion 350 applies to the push-out portion 350 provided on the left switch piece 332 in consideration of the symmetrical structure.

The push-out portion 350 includes three ribs 351 projecting rightward from the right surface of the switch plate 335 and two ribs 352 projecting leftward from the left surface of the switch plate 335 . These ribs 351 and 352 are formed at the rear end of the switch plate 335 . The three ribs 351 are vertically spaced apart on the right side of the switch plate 335 . The two ribs 352 are vertically spaced apart on the left side of the switch plate 335 . The right ends of the three ribs 351 protrude near the inner surface of the right wall 137 of the housing 110 (see FIG. 6). The amount of protrusion of the two ribs 352 is smaller than the amount of protrusion of the rib 351 on the right side. Left ends of the two ribs 352 are located near the right surface of the left support wall 164 . As shown in FIG. 3, the three ribs 351 are located behind the boundary between the right side of the switch plate 335 and the vertical edge of the concave front wall 135 forming the right longitudinal edge of the opening 155. are doing. The two ribs 352 are located behind the boundary between the left face of the switch plate 335 and the vertical edge of the concave front wall 135 forming the left longitudinal edge of the opening 155 .

The operation of dust collector 100 is described below.

A switch button 312 (see FIG. 2) is operated to close the main switch circuit 311 . The cleaning portion of the cleaner (eg, the tip of a mop) is then inserted into the recessed space formed by recessed front wall 135 (see FIG. 1). At this time, the switch plate 335 of at least one of the switch pieces 331 and 332 is pushed by the cleaning tool. That is, the switch pieces 331 and 332 receive an external force from the cleaning tool acting in a direction in which the switch pieces 331 and 332 are retracted into the opening 155 . The switch pieces 331 and 332 pushed by the cleaning tool sink into the opening 155 and are displaced from the off position (see FIG. 5) to the on position (see FIG. 10). The pressing portions 339 of the switch pieces 331 and 332 close the start switch 361 according to the displacement of the switch pieces 331 and 332 from the off position to the on position. As a result of both the main switch circuit 311 and the activation switch 361 being closed, power is supplied to the suction motor 232 from the external power source through the power cord 300 . The suction motor 232 operates according to power supply to operate the suction fan 231 (see FIG. 4). During this time, power is stored in capacitor 362 .

The suction fan 231 sucks the air inside the dust collection section 210 to make the internal space of the dust collection section 210 into a negative pressure environment. At this time, the inner space of the pipe portion 220 connected to the dust collection portion 210 also becomes a negative pressure environment, and the air outside the housing 110 flows through the inlet 154 and passes through the pipe portion 220 and the dust collection portion 210 in sequence. do. The air sucked from the dust collecting part 210 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 110 through many exhaust ports of the exhaust area 141 .

After activation of the suction fan 231, the cleaner is moved within the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall 135 (see FIG. 1). If the cleaning portion of the cleaning tool (for example, the bristles of a mop) is so thin that most of it enters between the lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 and the floor surface, the dust adhering to the cleaning portion is , is mainly scraped by the first scraping unit 121 . If the area to be cleaned is relatively thick, dust adhering to the area to be cleaned is mainly scraped by the second scraping section 122 . The scraped dust is sucked into the housing 110 together with the air flowing from the inlet 154 into the tube portion 220 (see FIG. 4). Dust flows into the dust collecting part 210 through the pipe part 220 . Dust collector 210 traps dust.

When sufficient dust has been removed from the cleaning site, the cleaner is withdrawn from the recessed space formed by recessed front wall 135 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the external force acting on the switch pieces 331 and 332 disappears, and the switch pieces 331 and 332 return from the on position to the off position by their own weight. As a result of the displacement of the switch pieces 331, 332 from the ON position to the OFF position, the pressing portions 339 of the switch pieces 331, 332 no longer push the activation switch 361, and the activation switch 361 is opened. Since power is stored in the capacitor 362 as described above, the suction motor 232 continues to drive the suction fan 231 by consuming the power in the capacitor 362 . Dust collector 100 continues to draw air around inlet 154 until the voltage provided by capacitor 362 is below the voltage required to operate suction motor 232 and suction fan 231 .

When the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collecting portion 210 reaches a certain amount, the drawer portion 250 (see FIG. 1) is drawn forward. As a result, the dust collector 210 is exposed outside the housing 110 . The dust collection unit 210 with accumulated dust is replaced with a new dust collection unit 210 . After the new dust collection part 210 is installed in the drawer part 250 , the drawer part 250 is pushed into the housing 110 .

The power cord 300 (see FIG. 8) may be removed from the housing 110 when the dust collector 100 is not used for an extended period of time. The power cord 300 is folded and housed in the housing recess 143 of the rear wall 136 .

As described below, the dust collector 100 can operate with high reliability without bothering the operator.

A pair of switch pieces 331 and 332 are arranged to the right and left of the inlet 154 . These switch pieces 331 and 332 are arranged on the side of the inlet 154 , so when the operator brings a cleaning tool (for example, a mop) having a horizontally long cleaning portion closer to the inlet 154 , Switch pieces 331 and 332 are pushed by the cleaning portion of the cleaning tool. The switch pieces 331 and 332 are displaced from the off position (see FIG. 5) to the on position (see FIG. 10) by receiving an external force from the cleaning tool. At this time, the activation switch 361 is closed and the suction mechanism 230 (see FIG. 4) is activated. As a result, the suction mechanism 230 sucks air near the inlet 154 and dust adhering to the cleaning tool. The dust that has flowed into the dust collector 100 along with the air is stored in the dust collector 210 .

As described above, the switch pieces 331, 332 are displaced from the off position to the on position simply by moving the cleaning tool closer to the inlet 154 to remove dust from the cleaning tool. Therefore, in addition to the operation for cleaning the cleaning tool, it is not necessary to separately perform the operation for activating the dust collector 100 . Therefore, the dust collector 100 is activated without bothering the operator.

When the cleaning tool is separated from the inlet 154, the external force acting on the switch pieces 331, 332 disappears. As a result, the switch pieces 331 and 332 are returned from the ON position to the OFF position by their own weight. At this time, the pressing portions 339 of the switch pieces 331 and 332 stop pressing the start switch 361, and the start switch 361 opens. After that, the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor 362 gradually decreases, and the dust collector 100 is stopped. Even when the dust collector 100 is stopped, the operator does not have to manually operate the dust collector 100 . Therefore, the dust collector 100 is stopped without bothering the operator.

Since power is stored in the capacitor 362 while the switch pieces 331 and 332 are in the ON position, the dust collector 100 uses the power in the capacitor 362 to continue dust collection. As a result, the dust remaining around the dust collector 100 is also accumulated in the dust collector 100 after the cleaning tool is pulled away from the inlet 154 . Therefore, the operator does not have to clean the area around the dust collector 100 after pulling the cleaning tool away from the inlet 154 .

When one of the activation switches 361 provided corresponding to the switch pieces 331 and 332 is closed, power is supplied to the suction motor 232 . In other words, both switch pieces 331 and 332 do not have to be displaced from the off position to the on position in order to supply power to the suction motor 232 . Therefore, even when cleaning a cleaning tool that is narrower than the arrangement interval of the switch pieces 331 and 332, the operator can remove the switch from the cleaning tool while displacing one of the switch pieces 331 and 332 to the ON position. Dust can be removed.

The activation switch 361 has a structure that mechanically opens and closes when pressed by the pressing portions 339 of the switch pieces 331 and 332 . Therefore, the start switch 361 has a structure that is more robust against dust than a switching device that optically or electromagnetically opens and closes a circuit. Therefore, the dust collector 100 can be reliably started and stopped. In addition, since the start switch 361 is arranged in the upper part of the isolated space, there is a low risk that the operation of the start switch 361 is hindered by dust that has entered the isolated space. and is stopped.

Although the switch pieces 331 and 332 are arranged near the inlet 154, they do not overlap the inlet 154 in the opening direction of the inlet 154. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the dust sucked into housing 110 through inlet 154 is less likely to come into contact with switch pieces 331 and 332 , and the switch pieces 331 and 332 and the edges of recessed front wall 135 forming opening 155 and the edge of recessed front wall 135 form opening 155 . It is difficult to fit into the boundary between Since there is a low risk that the movement of the switch pieces 331 and 332 will be obstructed by dust, the dust collector 100 can be started and stopped with high reliability.

When the switch pieces 331, 332 are in the off position, the front edge surface 337 of the switch plate 335 extends in the height direction. This is effective in displacing the switch pieces 331 and 332 from the off position to the on position when the dust removal object has a soft portion and a hard portion arranged in the vertical direction. For example, when the object to be dust-removed is a mop, the bristles of the mop form the above-described soft portion, and the portion implanted with the mop bristles forms the above-described hard portion. When the mop is brought close to the inlet 154, the front edge surface 337 of the switch plate 335 contacts the mop bristles and the hard part where the mop bristles are implanted. A part of the front edge surface 337 is embedded in the mop bristles and does not receive a large external force, but the hard part with the mop bristles pushes the front edge surface 337 with a strong force. Therefore, the contact portion of front edge surface 337 with the hard portion of the cleaner can receive sufficient external force to displace switch pieces 331 and 332 from the off position to the on position.

When the mop is thin, most of the bristles of the mop enter the space between the lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 and the floor surface. When the mop is subsequently moved, dust adhering to the bristles of the mop is scraped off by the corrugated lower edge of the first scraping portion 121 . When the switch pieces 331 and 332 are in the OFF position, the upper end of the front edge surface 337 is higher than the lower edge of the first scraping portion 121, so that the switch pieces 331 and 332 are not covered with mop bristles. It is pushed from the off position to the on position by the hard part.

When the mop is thick, most of the bristles of the mop enter between the second scraping part 122 and the floor surface. When the mop is subsequently moved, dust adhering to the bristles of the mop is scraped off by the corrugated lower edge of the second scraping portion 122 .

As described above, the dust collector 100 can remove dust from thick and thin cleaning tools. Therefore, the dust collector 100 can be used for cleaning cleaning tools of various thicknesses.

As the cleaner is brought closer to inlet 154 , the handle of the cleaner may contact the front of dust collector 100 . Since the bumper portion 260 protrudes forward from the upper front wall 134 , the handle of the cleaning tool tends to contact the bumper portion 260 rather than the housing 110 . Therefore, there is a low risk that the handle of the cleaning tool will damage the housing 110 and the drawer portion 250 appearing on the front surface of the housing 110 . Even if the bumper section 260 is damaged by contact with the cleaning tool, the bumper section 260 can be removed from the housing 110 and can be replaced with a new bumper section 260 .

Bumper section 260 is softer than housing 110 and drawer section 250 . Therefore, even if the handle of the cleaning tool comes into contact with the bumper portion 260, a loud noise is less likely to occur.

Since the switch pieces 331, 332 have a complementary cross section to the opening 155, the gap formed between the concave front wall 135 in which the opening 155 is formed and the switch pieces 331, 332 is narrowed. . However, dust that is smaller than the width of this gap may enter the isolated space formed inside the housing 110 through the gap. Dust that has entered the isolated space falls through an outlet 133 formed in the bottom wall 111 into a space below the bottom wall 111 formed by the legs 172-174.

A vertically long gap is formed between the side of the switch plate 335 and the edge of the recessed front wall 135 forming the opening 155 . It is conceivable that a part of an object (eg, a coin) of a size that has a complementary cross-section to this gap may accidentally enter the space. In this case, an object that partially enters the isolated space hits the pusher 350 located behind this gap. Since the push-out portion 350 is integrally formed with the switch plate 335, the push-out portion 350 moves forward together with the switch pieces 331 and 332 when the switch pieces 331 and 332 return from the on position to the off position. Objects that have partially entered the isolated space are pushed out of the housing 110 by the pusher 350 moving forward.

The front edge surface 337 of the switch plate 335 is located behind the front surface of the upper front wall 134 when the switch pieces 331 and 332 are in the off position. Since the protruding portion of the switch plate 335 from the housing 110 is contained in the recessed space formed by the recessed front wall 135, even if the dust collector 100 falls forward, the switch pieces 331 and 332 will not be affected by the floor surface. Low risk of being pushed. That is, there is a low risk that the dust collector 100 that has fallen forward will start unintentionally.

The bottom wall 111 protrudes rearward from the rear wall 136 . Therefore, when the dust collector 100 is installed so that the rear wall 136 faces the wall of the building in which the dust collector 100 is arranged, a space is formed between the rear wall 136 and the wall of the building. be done. This space is available for extension of the power cord 300 . In addition, this space is also used for exhaust air from the suction fan 231 through the exhaust area 141 of the rear wall 136 .

Power cord 300 is separable from housing 110 . Therefore, when the dust collector 100 is not in use, the power cord 300 can be removed from the housing 110 and accommodated within the accommodation recess 143 of the rear wall 136 .

With respect to the embodiments described above, the switch pieces 331, 332 return from the on position to the off position under their own weight. However, a member (for example, a torsion coil spring attached to the shaft portion 334 of the switch pieces 331, 332) that biases the switch pieces 331, 332 toward the off position may be used. In this case, the switch pieces 331 and 332 can return to the off position with high reliability.

As for the above-described embodiment, two switch pieces 331, 332 are used. However, only one of these switch pieces 331, 332 may be used.

As for the embodiments described above, the switch pieces 331 , 332 are arranged laterally of the inlet 154 . However, the switch pieces 331 and 332 may be arranged above the inlet 154 according to the height of the hard portion of the cleaning tool.

Regarding the above-described embodiment, the dust collector 100 continues suction even after the switch pieces 331 and 332 return to the off position. If this suction continuation feature is not required, capacitor 362 is not required.

The switch pieces 331 and 332 are not limited to specific shapes. The shape of the switch pieces 331 and 332 may be designed according to the structure of the cleaning tool to be cleaned.

Regarding the above-described embodiment, the dust collector 100 has the first scraping part 121 and the second scraping part 122, so dust can be effectively removed from the thin mop and the thick mop. If only a thin mop is to be dusted, only the first scraper 121 may be used. If only a thick mop is to be dusted, only the second scraper 122 may be used. If the suction mechanism 230 can generate sufficient suction force for dust removal, the first scraping unit 121 and the second scraping unit 122 may not be used.

With respect to the above-described embodiments, the lower edges of the first scraping portion 121 and the second scraping portion 122 have a wavy shape. This shape is suitable for removing dust from the bristles of the mop. However, the lower edges of the first scraping portion 121 and the second scraping portion 122 have other shapes according to the shape of the dust removal object so that dust can be effectively scraped from the dust removal object. You may

With respect to the above-described embodiment, the push-out portion 350 is integrally formed with the switch pieces 331 and 332 to push out an object entering the isolated space. Pusher 350 may not be formed if the ability to push out the intruder is not required. Instead of or in addition to the extruded portion 350 , a portion that contacts the side surface of the switch plate 335 with a low frictional force may be provided on the periphery of the opening 155 . In this case, the low-friction portion provided on the periphery of the opening 155 can reduce the risk of objects entering the isolated space.

With respect to the above-described embodiments, the signal generation circuit for generating the dust collection request signal and the stop request signal is located outside the isolation space. However, the signal generation circuitry may be located within the space. In this case, the signal generation circuit is preferably covered with a cover member that protects the signal generation circuit from dust.

As with the embodiments described above, the power cord 300 is separable from the housing 110 . However, power cord 300 may be inseparable from housing 110 .

As with the embodiments described above, the bumper portion 260 protrudes forward from the housing 110 . If scratches on the outer surface of the dust collector 100 and noise caused by contact between the dust collector 100 and the cleaning tool do not matter, the bumper section 260 may not be used.

With respect to the above embodiments, a mop is exemplified as the cleaning tool. However, the dust collector 100 may be used to remove dust from other types of cleaners.

As with the embodiments described above, the receiving recess 143 is formed in the rear wall 136 . However, the accommodation recess 143 may be provided in another portion forming the outer surface of the housing 110 .

Regarding the above-described embodiments, the switch pieces 331 and 332 are rotatably attached to the housing 110 . However, the displacement of the switch pieces 331, 332 may be linear. In this case, the switch pieces 331 and 332 may be attached to the housing 110 using linear guides so as to protrude with respect to the opening 155 .

With respect to the embodiments described above, a mechanical activation switch 361 is used. However, a circuit that opens and closes depending on the signal applied may be used. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an alternative power supply path from power cord 300 to suction motor 232 . The power supply path will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 10, 11 and 13. FIG.

A start switch circuit 320 is used in place of the start switch 361 of FIG. A position determining portion 341 is used instead of the pressing portion 339 in FIGS. 10 and 11 . A delay section 342 is used in place of the capacitor 362 of FIG. The position determination section 341 and the delay section 342 constitute a dust collection command section 333 that gives a command for the operation of the suction motor 232 .

Activation switch circuit 320 is located on the power supply path extending from connector 302 to suction motor 232 . The start switch circuit 320 is configured to open or close the power supply path according to a request from the dust collection command section 333 .

The dust collection command section 333 is configured to close or open the start switch circuit 320 according to the displacement of the switch pieces 331 and 332 . A position determination unit 341 of the dust collection command unit 333 outputs a dust collection request signal or a stop request signal based on position sensors (not shown) that detect the positions of the switch pieces 331 and 332 and the positions detected by the position sensors. It may be configured using a signal generator (not shown) that generates the signal. The dust collection request signal is generated to request the dust collection mechanism 200 to collect dust. A stop request signal is generated to request the dust collection mechanism 200 to stop. The position sensor may be configured to detect the rotational position of the shaft portion 334 of the switch pieces 331 and 332 or the position of the switch plate 335 . The signal generator may be formed using general circuit technology. The circuit formed as the signal generator is preferably fixed inside the housing 110 outside the isolated space.

The dust collection request signal is output from the position determination section 341 to the start switch circuit 320 without passing through the delay section 342 . The stop request signal is output from the position determination section 341 to the start switch circuit 320 via the delay section 342 . The delay unit 342 is configured to transmit the stop request signal to the activation switch circuit 320 after a predetermined delay period has elapsed from the reception time of the stop request signal. The delay period is set long enough for the dust collector 100 to suck the dust scattered around the dust collector 100 after the cleaning tool is pulled away from the dust collector 100 . The delay unit 342 may be a delay circuit that delays and relays the signal. The delay circuit is preferably fixed within the housing 110 outside the above-mentioned standoff.

The processing operation of the dust collection command unit 333 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. FIG. 14 is a schematic flow chart representing exemplary processing operations of the dust collection command unit 333 .

(Step S110)
The dust collection command section 333 waits for the displacement of the switch pieces 331 and 332 . When the displacement of at least one of the switch pieces 331 and 332 is detected by the position determination section 341, step S120 is executed.

(Step S120)
The position determination unit 341 determines whether at least one of the switch pieces 331 and 332 has been displaced from the off position to the on position or from the on position to the off position. If it is determined that at least one of the switch pieces 331 and 332 has been displaced from the OFF position to the ON position, step S130 is executed. Otherwise, step S140 is performed.

(Step S130)
In the determination process of step S120 described above, when a determination result indicating that a displacement from the OFF position to the ON position has occurred, the position determination unit 341 generates a dust collection request signal. The dust collection request signal is output to start switch circuit 320 . The start switch circuit 320 is closed in response to the dust collection request signal, and power supply to the suction motor 232 is started. After that, step S110 is executed.

(Step S140)
In the determination process of step S120 described above, when it is determined that the displacement from the ON position to the OFF position has occurred, the position determination unit 341 generates a stop request signal. The stop request signal is output to delay section 342 . After that, step S150 is executed.

(Step S150)
The delay unit 342 starts clocking. After that, step S160 is executed.

(Step S160)
The delay unit 342 waits until the elapsed time from the process of step S150 exceeds a predetermined delay period. If the elapsed time exceeds the delay period, step S170 is executed.

(Step S170)
Delay unit 342 outputs a stop request signal to start switch circuit 320 . The start switch circuit 320 is opened in response to the stop request signal, and power supply to the suction motor 232 is stopped. As a result, the dust collection operation of the dust collector 100 stops.

When the electrical structure shown in FIG. 13 is used, the duration of dust collection after the switch pieces 331 and 332 return from the ON position to the OFF position is kept constant. Unlike the electrical structure of FIG. 8 in which the dust collection duration depends on the amount of power in the capacitor 362 , the dust collection duration is the delay period set in the delay section 342 . Therefore, the electrical structure shown in FIG. 13 is advantageous in that the duration of dust collection is not excessively shortened.

The principle of the present embodiment is preferably used for devices used for cleaning work.

100 ..... Dust collector 110 ..... Housing 111 ..... Bottom wall 121 .....・First scraping portion 122 ・・・・・・・・・・・・ Second scraping portion 133 ・・・・・・・・Discharge port 135 ・・・・・・・・・・・・ Concave front wall 136 ........ Rear wall 143 ........ Accommodating recess 154 ........ Inflow port 155 ........ Opening Parts 171 to 174 Legs 200 Dust collecting mechanism 260 Bumper 300 Power supply Code 330 Operation request units 331, 332 Switch piece 333 Dust collection command unit 337 .. Front edge surface 350 .................. Extruded portion

Claims (14)

A dust collector for collecting dust,
a housing having a front surface formed with an inflow port through which the dust flows;
a dust collection mechanism that draws the dust into the housing through the inlet;
an operation requesting unit that requests activation and deactivation of the dust collecting mechanism;
a first scraping portion and a second scraping portion each having a lower edge configured to scrape the dust ;
The operation request unit includes a switch piece that is displaced between an ON position for activating the dust collecting mechanism and an OFF position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism,
The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position that does not overlap the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, and is displaced from the OFF position to the ON position by receiving an external force. configured to return from the on position to the off position in response to extinction;
The front surface is formed by an upper front wall and a recessed front wall recessed rearwardly below the upper front wall,
the first scraping portion protrudes downward within a recessed space formed by the recessed front wall such that the lower edge of the first scraping portion is disposed at a position spaced upward from the floor surface;
The dust collector, wherein the lower edge of the second scraping portion is higher than and forward of the lower edge of the first scraping portion. A dust collector for collecting dust,
a housing having a front surface formed with an inflow port through which the dust flows;
a dust collection mechanism that draws the dust into the housing through the inlet;
an operation requesting unit that requests activation and deactivation of the dust collecting mechanism,
The operation request unit has a switch piece that is displaced between an ON position for activating the dust collecting mechanism and an OFF position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism,
The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position that does not overlap the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, and is displaced from the OFF position to the ON position by receiving an external force. configured to return from the on position to the off position in response to extinction;
The front surface has an opening complementary to the cross section of the switch piece so as to allow the switch piece to protrude and retract,
The dust collector is arranged behind a boundary formed between the switch piece and the front surface by the opening so as to push out of the housing an object that has entered the housing through the opening. The dust collector, further comprising an extrusion protruding from the switch piece. A dust collector for collecting dust,
a housing having a front surface formed with an inflow port through which the dust flows;
a dust collection mechanism that draws the dust into the housing through the inlet;
an operation requesting unit that requests activation and deactivation of the dust collecting mechanism,
The operation request unit has a switch piece that is displaced between an ON position for activating the dust collecting mechanism and an OFF position for stopping the dust collecting mechanism,
The switch piece is arranged next to the inlet at a position that does not overlap the inlet in the opening direction of the inlet, and is displaced from the OFF position to the ON position by receiving an external force. configured to return from the on position to the off position in response to extinction;
The front surface is formed with an opening that allows the switch piece to appear and retract,
The housing has a bottom wall formed with a discharge port positioned below the operating range of the switch piece in the housing, and a leg protruding downward from the bottom wall. Dust collector. The dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switch piece is arranged on the side of the inlet. The operation requesting unit includes another switch piece arranged on the opposite side of the inflow port to the switch piece so as to sandwich the inflow port with the switch piece,
The dust collector according to claim 4 , wherein the other switch piece receives an external force and is displaced from the off position to the on position, and returns from the on position to the off position in response to the disappearance of the external force. The dust collector according to claim 5 , wherein the operation request unit activates the dust collection mechanism when at least one of the two switch pieces is displaced from the off position to the on position. 7. The operation request unit is configured to cause the dust collecting mechanism to continue collecting dust until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the switch piece was displaced from the on position to the off position. The dust collector according to any one of . The dust collector according to any one of claims 4 to 6 , wherein the switch piece includes a front edge surface forming a front end of the switch piece and extending in the height direction. the switch strip has a front edge surface forming a front end of the switch strip and extending in a height direction;
The concave front wall is formed with an opening that allows the switch piece to protrude and retract,
the switch piece is displaced from the off position to the on position by being retracted into the opening;
2. The dust collector according to claim 1 , wherein the front edge surface of the switch piece is located behind the upper front wall when the switch piece is in the off position. The operation requesting section has a signal generating section for outputting a dust collection request signal requesting the dust collecting mechanism to collect dust when the switch piece is displaced from the off position to the on position. including
The housing is configured to form an isolated space separated from other spaces in the housing at a position corresponding to a portion where the switch piece is inserted from the opening,
The dust collector according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the signal generator is arranged in the other space. Further comprising a power cord for supplying power to the dust collecting mechanism,
the housing includes a rear wall erected between a front end and a rear end of the bottom wall so that the bottom wall protrudes rearward;
The dust collector according to claim 3 , wherein the power cord extends from the rear wall to the outside of the housing. Further comprising a power cord for supplying power to the dust collecting mechanism,
The dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein an outer surface of the housing is formed with a housing recess for housing the power cord. Further comprising a bumper portion protruding forward from the front surface of the housing,
The dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the bumper section is softer than the housing. The dust collector according to Claim 1 or 3 , wherein the bumper section is removable from the housing.

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