JP7499439B2 - Roller for assisting the movement of a suction tool, suction tool equipped with a roller, and method for manufacturing the roller - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a roller that assists the movement of a suction tool attached to a suction-type cleaner, a suction tool equipped with a roller, and a method for manufacturing the roller.

The suction tool is attached to a suction-type cleaner, and the cleaner is used by moving the suction tool across the floor surface. To assist in the movement of the suction tool, rollers are attached to the underside of the suction tool.

If the outer surface of the roller is too hard, the roller will damage the floor surface, so rubber rollers are generally used. If the outer surface of the roller is made only of rubber, the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the roller can become too high. If the coefficient of friction is too high, the roller will not slip sideways (i.e., the roller will not be allowed to slide in the direction in which the rotation axis of the roller extends), making it difficult to move the suction tool sideways.

In order to reduce the coefficient of friction of the roller, Patent Document 1 proposes forming the roller by impregnating nonwoven fabric with rubber. In this case, the resin fibers of the nonwoven fabric are exposed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller, and the exposed resin fibers reduce the coefficient of friction.

JP 2000-343903 A

Microscopically, the outer peripheral surface of the roller in Patent Document 1 is in a fuzzy state of resin fibers. In this case, dust on the floor surface is likely to become entangled in the resin fibers. When dust becomes entangled in the roller, the roller's rolling motion is hindered by the dust, and the roller loses its function of assisting the movement of the suction tool.

Therefore, the present invention was made based on the above problem, and its purpose is to provide a technology that prevents dust from getting tangled in the roller.

The roller according to the present invention is a roller located on the underside of a suction tool attached to a suction-type cleaner, and includes a rubber roller body, resin parts scattered in a crushed state on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body, and a fibrous inner resin part located within the roller body . The resin parts are connected to the inner resin part.

According to the present invention, the roller has resin parts scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the rubber roller body in a crushed state, and therefore has a lower coefficient of friction than a roller made only of rubber. As a result, the roller is permitted to slip sideways, making it easier to operate the suction tool. Moreover, because the crushed resin parts are scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body, the coefficient of friction is further reduced, and dust is less likely to be captured on the outer circumferential surface of the roller. In other words, dust would be captured if the resin fibers protruded from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body and were in a fluffy state, but because the resin parts are in a crushed state on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body, dust is less likely to be captured. Therefore, poor rolling of the roller caused by dust wrapping around the roller is suppressed.

The suction tool of the present invention is a suction tool that is attached to a suction-type cleaner, and includes a housing having a bottom surface where the suction space opens, and the roller located on the bottom surface of the housing.

According to the present invention, the outer circumferential surface of the roller body of the roller located on the underside of the housing is dotted with crushed resin parts, so the roller has a lower coefficient of friction than if it were made of rubber alone. Therefore, the roller does not provide excessively large resistance to the movement of the suction tool in any direction other than the direction in which the roller rolls.

In the above configuration, another roller may be provided on the underside of the housing. The housing may be formed with a flow path that opens into the suction space and communicates with a connection port for connecting the cleaner. The roller may be positioned closer to the opening of the flow path in the suction space than the other roller.

With this configuration, dust between the underside of the housing and the floor surface is subjected to suction force from the cleaner and moves from the suction space toward the opening of the flow path. Therefore, the closer the roller is to the opening of the flow path, the more frequently it comes into contact with dust. In rollers that are positioned relatively close to the opening of the flow path, the friction coefficient of the outer circumferential surface is reduced due to the presence of crushed resin parts scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body, so that even if the roller comes into contact with dust frequently, dust is prevented from being captured by the roller.

In the above configuration, the other rollers may be a pair of left and right rollers arranged on the underside of the housing on both the left and right sides of the suction space. The suction tool may include a scraping roller arranged in the suction space, a movable support part that supports the roller so that it can move in the vertical direction, and a rotation control part configured to rotate the scraping roller when the roller is in the upper position, while stopping the scraping roller by moving the roller downward.

With this configuration, the housing is supported by a pair of left and right rollers arranged on the underside of the housing on both the left and right sides of the suction space, suppressing tilting of the suction tool in the width direction. In addition, the rotation control unit stops the scraping roller by moving the roller downward, so that if a user inserts a finger into the space between the housing and the floor surface, the rotating scraping roller is prevented from coming into contact with the finger. The outer peripheral surface of the roller attached to the movable support part is dotted with crushed resin parts, so dust is less likely to adhere to this roller. Therefore, it is less likely that dust adhering to the roller will impede the operation of the movable support part.

In the above configuration, the suction tool may further include a rear bracket protruding rearward from the housing and a rear roller attached to the rear bracket.

With this configuration, the rear roller is attached to a rear bracket that protrudes rearward from the housing, so the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the left and right rollers in the suction space and the rear roller can be increased. As a result, the suction tool is supported on the floor surface at a position separated in the front-to-rear direction, stabilizing the position of the suction tool.

The method of manufacturing a roller according to the present invention involves rolling a roller-shaped member having a rubber roller body and resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body on a member having a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin fibers, melting the resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body to form a crushed resin portion, and solidifying the molten resin portion.

According to the present invention, a roller-shaped member having a rubber roller body and resin fibers protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body is rolled on a member having a higher temperature than the melting point of the resin fibers, so that a crushed resin portion can be easily formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body.

In the above configuration, a groove may be formed in the member along the outer circumferential surface of the roller body. In the method for manufacturing the roller, the roller may be rolled on the member with the outer circumferential surface of the roller body in contact with the groove.

According to this configuration, a roller-shaped member having a rubber roller body and resin fibers protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body is rolled on a member that is hotter than the melting point of the resin fibers with the outer peripheral surface of the roller body in contact with the groove along the outer peripheral surface of the roller body. Therefore, even if the outer peripheral surface of the roller body has a shape that bulges outward in the radial direction, it is easy to form a resin portion that is crushed over the entire outer peripheral surface of the roller body. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the roller and more reliably prevent dust from becoming entangled in the roller.

In the above configuration, the groove may have a shape that follows the outer circumferential surface and side surface of the roller body. In the method for manufacturing the roller, the roller may be rolled on the member with the outer circumferential surface and side surface of the roller body in contact with the groove.

With this configuration, it is possible to melt not only the resin fibers exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body, but also the resin fibers exposed on the side surface of the roller body. Therefore, it is possible to form a crushed resin portion not only on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body, but also on the side surface of the roller body, so that it is possible to reduce not only the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the roller, but also the friction coefficient of the side surface of the roller, and it is possible to further suppress the entanglement of dust in the roller.

In the above configuration, the corners of the groove may be rounded. The roller-shaped member may be pressed against the groove while rolling on the member.

With this configuration, a roller-shaped member is pressed against a groove with rounded corners and rolled on a high-temperature member. Because of this, the corners of the roller body are pressed strongly against the corners of the groove, so the heat of the high-temperature member is easily transferred to the resin fibers exposed at the corners of the roller body. As a result, the resin fibers exposed at the corners of the roller body are easily melted, and a crushed resin portion can be easily formed at the corners of the roller body.

In the above configuration, the surface of the roller body may be melted together with the resin fibers.

With this configuration, not only the resin fibers but also the surface of the roller body are melted, so the roughness of the rubber surface that appears on the surface of the roller body is reduced. In this case, it is preferable that the rubber forming the roller body has a melting point lower than that of the resin fibers.

This invention makes it possible to prevent dust from becoming entangled in the roller.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a suction-type cleaner to which a suction tool having a roller according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the suction tool according to the embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the suction tool according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a roller according to the embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a resin portion that has been crushed against the outer circumferential surface of the roller body of the roller according to the embodiment is connected to an inner resin portion within the roller body. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of a movable support portion of the suction tool according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the structure of the movable support part of the suction tool of this embodiment, in which (a) is a diagram showing the movable support part of the suction tool of this embodiment as viewed from above, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (a), and (d) is a partially enlarged view of the end of the biasing member of the movable support part of (a). 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a roller according to this embodiment, in which (a) shows the state in which the outer peripheral surface and side surfaces of a roller body are in contact with grooves formed in an iron plate heated to a high temperature, and (b) shows a method for manufacturing a roller by rolling a roller-shaped member in contact with the grooves of an iron plate heated to a high temperature.

Below, a roller and a suction tool equipped with a roller according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, for the sake of convenience, each of the drawings referred to below shows a simplified view of the main components required to explain a roller and a suction tool equipped with a roller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, a roller and a suction tool according to an embodiment of the present invention may include any components not shown in each of the drawings referred to in this specification.

Figure 1 shows a suction type cleaner 101 to which a suction tool 100 is attached. The cleaner 101 includes a main body 102 that includes a suction fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown) that drives the suction fan, and a hose 103 that extends from the main body 102. The cleaner 101 further includes an operating unit 104 that is provided at the middle of the hose 103. The suction tool 100 is connected to the tip of the hose 103. The operating unit 104 is electrically connected to the main body 102 and the suction tool 100 through wiring that is provided along the hose 103. The operating unit 104 is configured to generate a command signal for operating or stopping the driving parts of the main body 102 and the suction tool 100 in response to a user's operation.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the suction tool 100 comprises a housing 120 having a hollow box structure that is long in the left-right direction, a connection port 130 configured to connect the housing 120 to the end of the hose 103, two scraping rollers 141 and 142 configured to scrape off dust, and a number of rollers 151 to 153 located on the underside of the housing 120.

The housing 120 includes a front wall 121, a rear wall 122, side walls 123, 124, an upper wall 125, a lower wall 126, a front cover 129, and a partition wall 127.

The front wall 121 is a section that stands upright at the front of the housing 120. The rear wall 122 is a section that is long in the left-right direction and stands upright behind the front wall 121. The rear wall 122 is formed so that it has a recess 122a that is recessed forward at its center in the left-right direction (see Figure 2).

The side walls 123 and 124 are erected on the right and left sides of the housing 120, and connect the front wall 121 and the rear wall 122. The top wall 125 connects the upper part of the rear wall 122 and the upper parts of the side walls 123 and 124.

The lower wall 126 forms the lower surface of the housing 120. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower wall 126 extends inward from the lower ends of the rear wall 122 and the side walls 123 and 124, and is generally U-shaped when viewed from the bottom. Specifically, the lower wall 126 has left and right lower walls 126a, 126a extending inward from the side walls 123 and 124, and a rear lower wall 126b extending inward from the rear wall 122. The left and right lower walls 126a, 126a are formed over the entire length of the front-to-rear width of the side walls 123 and 124. The rear lower wall 126b is connected from the left lower wall 126a to the right lower wall 126a. A dust collection section 128 formed of a raised cloth with nap on the cloth surface is provided on the lower surface of the rear lower wall 126b.

The front cover 129 is connected to the upper part of the front wall 121, the upper part of the top wall 125, and the side walls 123 and 124, and is configured to be detachable from the upper part of the front wall 121 and the upper part of the top wall 125.

The partition wall 127 includes a front-rear partition wall portion 127a extending in the front-rear direction and a left-right partition wall portion 127b extending in the left-right direction. The front-rear partition wall portion 127a is formed so as to connect from the inner ends of the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a to the upper wall 125. The left-right partition wall portion 127b is formed so as to connect from the inner end of the rear lower wall 126b to the upper wall 125. The left-right partition wall portion 127b is continuous over the entire left-right length of the rear lower wall 126b. The front-rear partition wall portion 127a extends from the left and right ends of the left-right partition wall portion 127b to the front ends of the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a.

The partition wall 127 defines the suction space 111 into which dust is sucked. The suction space 111 is covered from above by the front cover 129. The opening of the suction space 111 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape and opens to the bottom surface of the housing 120. The suction space 111 allows air and dust to flow from the opening on the bottom surface of the housing 120, and is used as a space for accommodating the scraping rollers 141, 142, etc.

The partition wall 127, rear wall 122, side wall 123, side wall 124, upper wall 125, and lower wall 126 form a storage space 112 that houses motors 165, 167 that drive the scraping rollers 141, 142, etc. (see Figures 2 to 4).

The housing 120 is formed with a flow path 116 that penetrates the partition wall 127 and the recess 122a of the rear wall 122 (see Figures 2 to 4). The front opening 115 of the flow path 116 appears on the suction space 111 side at the center position of the partition wall 127 in the left-right direction, and opens into the suction space 111 (see Figure 4). The flow path 116 extends rearward from the recess 122a of the rear wall 122 and communicates with the connection port 130. The flow path 116 is used as a flow path for air and dust to flow from the suction space 111 to the cleaner 101.

2 and 4, a rear bracket 158 is provided at the center of the rear lower wall 126b in the left-right direction. The rear bracket 158 is formed integrally with the rear lower wall 126b. The rear bracket 158 protrudes rearward from the rear lower wall 126b in a generally U-shape and has a base end 158a adjacent to the rear lower wall 126b, and left and right protruding parts 158b, 158b protruding rearward from both left and right ends at the rear end of the base end 158a. The left and right protruding parts 158b, 158b each have rear roller housing holes 159, 159 recessed upward from the bottom surface and housing rear rollers 153, 153 described below.

The rear roller accommodating holes 159, 159 may pass through the left and right protrusions 158b, 158b in the vertical direction. As long as the rear bracket 158 protrudes rearward from the bottom surface of the housing 120, it does not have to be formed integrally with the rear lower wall 126b, and its shape is not limited. The number of rear rollers 153 is not limited to two. The rear bracket 158 may be omitted.

The scraping roller 141 is disposed in the suction space 111 (see FIG. 4). The scraping roller 141 has a tapered tube portion 161 extending from within the storage space 112 near the side wall 123 through the front-rear partition wall portion 127a of the partition wall 127 to the side (to the right in FIG. 4), and a plurality of scraping portions 162 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tapered tube portion 161.

The tapered tube portion 161 is slightly shorter than half the length of the suction space 111 in the left-right direction. The base end portion of the tapered tube portion 161 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) arranged in the storage space 112 near the side wall 123.

The tapered tube portion 161 has an elongated truncated cone shape that tapers from the base end to the tip. The tapered tube portion 161 is inclined so that the tip is located further forward than the base end. In addition, the tapered tube portion 161 is inclined so that the tip is located lower than the base end.

A pulley (not shown) that rotates integrally with the tapered tube portion 161 is attached to the base end of the tapered tube portion 161. A belt 166 (see FIG. 3) is stretched around the pulley, which is in turn stretched around the motor shaft 165b of the motor 165 disposed in the accommodation space 112. As a result, the scraping roller 141 rotates when the motor 165 is driven.

The multiple scraping parts 162 are for scraping off dust on the floor surface. Each of the multiple scraping parts 162 is a strip-shaped portion extending over the section from the base end to the tip end of the tapered tube part 161. The scraping parts 162 are formed from an elastically deformable material. For example, the scraping parts 162 may be formed using a large number of brush bristles, a strip of elastomer or a strip of elastic resin, or a strip of cloth material.

The scraping portion 162 protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the tapered tube portion 161 by a substantially uniform amount of protrusion over the entire section from the base end to the tip end of the tapered tube portion 161. The amount of protrusion of the scraping portion 162 is set to a value that causes the scraping portion 162 to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the housing 120 through the suction space 111 and come into contact with the floor surface.

The scraping portion 162 is not parallel to the central axis of the tapered tube portion 161. In particular, the scraping portion 162 extends in a direction twisted with respect to the central axis of the tapered tube portion 161. In other words, the base end and tip end of the scraping portion 162 are located at different positions in the circumferential direction of the tapered tube portion 161.

The scraping roller 142 is symmetrical to the scraping roller 141. That is, the tip of the scraping roller 142 faces the tip of the scraping roller 141. The scraping roller 142 extends laterally from the tip of the scraping roller 142 toward the side wall 124. The base end side of the tapered tube portion 161 of the scraping roller 142 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) arranged in the storage space 112 near the side wall 124. A pulley (not shown) that rotates integrally with the tapered tube portion 161 is attached to the base end of the tapered tube portion 161 of the scraping roller 142. A belt 168 that is stretched around the motor shaft 167b of the motor 167 is stretched around the pulley. As a result, the scraping roller 142 rotates when the motor 167 is driven.

Because the scraping rollers 141, 142 are slightly shorter than half the length of the suction space 111 in the left-right direction, a gap 118 is formed between the tips of the scraping rollers 141, 142 (see FIG. 4). That is, the gap 118 is formed adjacent to the tips of the scraping rollers 141, 142 in the extension direction of the scraping rollers 141, 142. The scraping rollers 141, 142 have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the gap 118. The gap 118 is used to remove long dust particles (e.g., hair) wrapped around the scraping rollers 141, 142.

The gap 118 is located in front of the opening 115 of the flow path 116 (see Figures 2 and 4). In detail, the gap 118 is aligned with the opening 115 in the opening direction of the opening 115. The gap 118 is formed approximately in the center of the suction space 111 in the left-right direction.

The motor 165 is supported by a motor support 176 provided on the upper surface of the lower wall 126 so that the motor shaft 165b is parallel to the central axis of the tapered tube portion 161 of the scraping roller 141 (see FIG. 3). The motor 167 is supported by a motor support 176 provided on the upper surface of the lower wall 126 so that the motor shaft 167b is parallel to the rotation axis of the tapered tube portion 161 of the scraping roller 142 (see FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4, the rollers 151-153 include a pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 arranged on the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a, a friction reduction roller 152 arranged on the rear lower wall 126b, and a pair of rear rollers 153, 153 arranged on the rear bracket 158. If the rear bracket 158 is omitted, the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 is omitted.

The pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 are formed by impregnating nonwoven fabric with rubber, with resin fibers scattered inside and some of the rollers having a fluffy outer surface. The material of the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 is not limited. For example, the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 may be made of resin. The outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 are formed in a straight line in a cross section cut by a plane parallel to the rotation axis. In other words, the outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 have a flat shape in the cross section. The pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 are not limited to those having a flat shape in the cross section. For example, the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 may have an outer circumferential surface that bulges outward in the radial direction.

The pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 are rotatably attached to the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a while positioned in left and right roller arrangement holes 156, 156 formed in the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a. In this state, the pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 protrude downward from the lower surfaces of the left and right lower walls 126a, 126a. The pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 is an example of other rollers.

The pair of rear rollers 153, 153 are formed by impregnating nonwoven fabric with rubber, with resin fibers scattered inside and some of the outer surface being fuzzy. The material of the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 is not limited. For example, the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 may be formed from resin. The outer circumferential surface of the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 is formed in a straight line in a cross section cut by a plane parallel to the rotation axis. In other words, the outer circumferential surface of the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 has a flat shape in the cross section. The pair of rear rollers 153, 153 is not limited to having an outer circumferential surface that has a flat shape in the cross section. For example, the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 may have an outer circumferential surface that bulges outward in the radial direction.

The pair of rear rollers 153, 153 are rotatably attached to the left and right protruding parts 158b, 158b while positioned in the rear roller accommodation holes 159, 159 of the left and right protruding parts 158b, 158b. In this state, the pair of rear rollers 153, 153 protrude downward from the lower surfaces of the left and right protruding parts 158b, 158b.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the friction reduction roller 152 comprises a rubber roller body 152a, resin parts 152b scattered in a crushed state on the outer surface of the roller body 152a, and a fibrous inner resin part 152c connected to the resin part 152b and located inside the roller body 152a. The friction reduction roller 152 is made using a roller-shaped member in which resin fibers are scattered on the roller body 152a and part of the outer surface is fuzzy. This roller-shaped member is formed by impregnating nonwoven fabric with rubber. The resin fibers protruding from the outer surface of the roller body 152a are crushed. Therefore, the resin parts 152b are uniformly scattered on the surface of the roller body 152a.

The rubber forming the roller body 152a has a melting point lower than that of the resin portion 152b. For example, NBR (synthetic rubber) can be used as the rubber forming the roller body 152a. The outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a is formed in a straight line in a cross section cut by a plane parallel to the rotation axis. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a has a flat shape in the cross section (see FIG. 4). In addition, the corners of the roller body 152a (both side edges of the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a) form right angles. The roller body 152a is not limited to one whose outer peripheral surface has a flat shape in the cross section or one whose corners form right angles. For example, the roller body 152a may have an outer peripheral surface that bulges outward in the radial direction, and the corners of the roller body 152a may be rounded to prevent damage to the floor surface. In FIG. 4, the resin portion 152b is omitted from the illustration.

The resin portion 152b is made of polyester. The material of the resin portion 152b may be any material with a lower coefficient of friction than the rubber that forms the roller body 152a, and may be, for example, polyethylene.

The friction reduction roller 152 is disposed in a friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157 formed in the rear lower wall 126b. The friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157 is disposed closer to the opening 115 of the flow path 116 than the left and right roller arrangement holes 156, 156 (see Figures 3 and 4). The friction reduction roller 152 is an example of a roller that includes a rubber roller body 152a and resin parts scattered in a crushed state on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the friction reduction roller 152 is attached to a movable support part 169 arranged in the friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157. The movable support part 169 is configured to move the friction reduction roller 152 up and down within the friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 7, 8(a) and 8(b), the movable support part 169 has a shaft part 169a, a holding part 169b formed integrally with the shaft part 169a, and a biasing member 169c that applies a biasing force to the shaft part 169a to rotate the shaft part 169a in one direction.

The shaft portion 169a is disposed on the upper surface side of the rear lower wall 126b. The shaft portion 169a extends in the left-right direction, and both left-right ends of the shaft portion 169a are rotatably supported by bearings 170, 170 provided on the upper surface of the rear lower wall 126b.

The retaining portion 169b has a base portion 169ba that extends left and right and is integrally formed on the side of the shaft portion 169a that faces the friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157, and a pair of arms 169bb, 169bb that extend from both left and right sides of the base portion 169ba in a direction perpendicular to the shaft portion 169a, and is formed in a generally concave shape overall.

The friction reduction roller 152 is arranged inside the pair of arm parts 169bb, 169bb in a state where it slightly protrudes from the recess of the pair of arm parts 169bb, 169bb (see Figures 7 and 8 (c)). In this state, the friction reduction roller 152 is rotatably attached to the pair of arm parts 169bb, 169bb. When this friction reduction roller 152 is positioned in the friction reduction roller arrangement hole 157 and in an upper position where the protrusion amount is the same as the protrusion amount of the left and right rollers 151, 151 protruding downward from the lower surface of the housing 120 (see Figure 8 (b)), the holding part 169b abuts against the housing 120, and the rotation of the shaft part 169a is restricted so that the protrusion amount of the friction reduction roller 152 is not smaller than the protrusion amount of the left and right rollers 151, 151.

The biasing member 169c is formed of a torsion spring. The biasing member 169c is disposed at one end of the shaft portion 169a. As shown in Figs. 8(a) and (d), both ends of the biasing member 169c are engaged with spring support portions 171, 171 formed on the upper surface of the rear lower wall 126b. The biasing member 169c biases the shaft portion 169a to rotate in a direction that rotates the friction reduction roller 152 downward from the state in which the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position. As a result, when the force resisting the biasing force of the biasing member 169c is released, the movable support portion 169 rotates the friction reduction roller 152 from the state in which the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position (see Fig. 8(b)) to the lower position (see Fig. 8(c)) where the friction reduction roller 152 protrudes significantly downward from the lower surface of the housing 120 by the biasing force of the biasing member 169c. The force resisting the biasing force of the biasing member 169c is released, for example, when the friction reduction roller 152 leaves the floor surface.

The biasing member 169c is not limited to a torsion spring, so long as it can bias the shaft portion 169a to rotate in a direction that rotates the friction reduction roller 152 downward from the state in which the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position.

A rotation control unit 172 is electrically connected to the movable support unit 169, and is configured to rotate the scraping rollers 141, 142 when the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position, while stopping the scraping rollers 141, 142 by moving the friction reduction roller 152 from the upper position to the lower position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation control unit 172 has a control board supported on the upper surface of the bottom wall 126 below one of the motors 165. The rotation control unit 172 is connected to one of the motors 165, and is also connected to the other motor 167 via connections 173, 173. The rotation control unit 172 has a detection unit (not shown) that detects the state of the friction reduction roller 152, and a command unit (not shown) that controls the rotation of the motor based on the detection signal detected by the detection unit.

The detection unit is configured to detect when the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position and when the friction reduction roller 152 is in the lower position. When the detection unit detects that the friction reduction roller 152 is in the upper position, it sends an upper position signal to the command unit. When the detection unit detects that the friction reduction roller 152 is in the lower position, it sends a lower position signal to the command unit.

When the operation unit 104 generates a command signal to operate the motors 165, 167 while the rotation of the motors 165, 167 is stopped, the detection unit allows the rotation of the motors 165, 167 upon receiving an up position signal. When the operation unit 104 generates a command signal to operate the motors 165, 167 while the rotation of the motors 165, 167 is stopped, the detection unit does not allow the rotation of the motors 165, 167 upon receiving a down position signal.

When the detection unit receives an up position signal while the motors 165, 167 are rotating, the detection unit maintains the rotation of the motors 165, 167. When the detection unit receives a down position signal while the motors 165, 167 are rotating, the detection unit stops the rotation of the motors 165, 167.

When the command unit receives an upper position signal from the detection unit, it controls both motors 165 and 167 to rotate, thereby rotating the scraping rollers 141 and 142. When the command unit receives a lower position signal from the detection unit, it controls both motors 165 and 167 to stop rotating, thereby stopping the scraping rollers 141 and 142.

Next, a method for manufacturing the friction reduction roller 152 of the suction tool 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Note that the resin portion 152b is not shown in FIG. 9.

First, a roller-shaped member 10 is produced, which has a rubber roller body 152a and resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface, sides, and corners of the roller body 152a. This roller-shaped member 10 can be produced, for example, by impregnating a resin such as NBR (synthetic rubber) into a nonwoven fabric made of resin such as polyester formed into a ring shape, and the resin fibers of the nonwoven fabric are fluffed on the outer surface of the roller body 152a.

Next, prepare a high-temperature member such as an iron plate 174 heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin fiber. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the iron plate 174 has a groove 175 formed along the outer circumferential surface and side surface of the roller body 152a. The corners 175a of this groove 175 are rounded. The corners 175a of the groove 175 do not have to be rounded. With the outer circumferential surface and side surface of the roller body 152a in contact with this groove 175, a load is applied from above to the roller-shaped member 10, so that the roller-shaped member 10 rolls on the iron plate 174 while being pressed against the groove 175 (see FIG. 9a and FIG. 9b). As a result, not only the resin fibers exposed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a but also the resin fibers exposed on the side surface of the roller body 152a are melted by the heat of the iron plate 174. At the same time, the corners of the roller body 152a are pressed against the corners 175a of the grooves 175, and the resin fibers exposed at the corners of the roller body 152a are also melted by the heat of the iron plate 174. Furthermore, the surface of the roller body 152a, which has a melting point lower than that of the resin fibers, also melts. The resin fibers then solidify the melted resin portion 152b. This results in a friction-reducing roller 152 in which the resin portions 152b are formed in a crushed state on the entire outer circumferential surface, entire side surfaces, and entire corners of the roller body 152a.

The friction reduction roller 152 has resin parts 152b scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the rubber roller body 152a in a crushed state, and therefore has a lower friction coefficient than when it is made of rubber alone. As a result, the friction reduction roller 152 is permitted to slip sideways, and the suction tool 100 is easy to operate. Moreover, since the crushed resin parts 152b are scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a, the friction coefficient is further reduced and dust is less likely to be captured on the outer circumferential surface of the friction reduction roller 152. That is, dust is captured when the resin fibers protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a and become fluffy, but dust is less likely to be captured because the resin parts 152b are crushed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a. Therefore, poor rolling of the friction reduction roller 152 caused by dust wrapping around the friction reduction roller 152 is suppressed.

In the suction tool 100, the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a of the friction reduction roller 152 located on the underside of the housing 120 is dotted with crushed resin parts 152b, so that the friction reduction roller 152 has a lower coefficient of friction than if it were made of rubber alone. Therefore, the friction reduction roller 152 does not provide excessively large resistance to the movement of the suction tool 100 in directions other than the rolling direction of the friction reduction roller 152.

In the suction tool 100, dust between the bottom surface of the housing 120 and the floor surface receives suction force from the cleaner 101 and moves from the suction space 111 toward the opening 115 of the flow path 116. Therefore, the closer the friction reduction roller 152 is to the opening 115 of the flow path 116, the more frequently it comes into contact with dust. In the friction reduction roller 152 arranged relatively close to the opening 115 of the flow path 116, the crushed resin parts 152b are scattered on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a, reducing the friction coefficient of the outer circumferential surface. Therefore, even if the friction reduction roller 152 comes into contact with dust frequently, the dust is prevented from being captured by the friction reduction roller 152.

In the suction tool 100, the housing 120 is supported by a pair of left and right rollers 151, 151 arranged on the underside of the housing 120 on both the left and right sides of the suction space 111, so that the inclination of the suction tool 100 in the width direction is suppressed. In addition, the rotation control unit 172 stops the scraping rollers 141, 142 by moving the friction reduction roller 152 downward, so that when a user inserts a finger into the space between the housing 120 and the floor surface, the scraping rollers 141, 142 in the rotating state are prevented from coming into contact with the finger. The outer peripheral surface of the friction reduction roller 152 attached to the movable support part 169 is dotted with crushed resin parts 152b, so dust is less likely to adhere to this friction reduction roller 152. Therefore, a situation in which dust adhering to the friction reduction roller 152 impedes the operation of the movable support part 169 is less likely to occur.

In the suction tool 100, the rear rollers 153, 153 are attached to a rear bracket 158 that protrudes rearward from the housing 120, so the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the left and right rollers 151, 151 and the rear rollers 153, 153 is long. Therefore, the suction tool 100 is supported on the floor surface at positions separated in the front-to-rear direction, so the posture of the suction tool 100 is stabilized.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152, a roller-shaped member 10 having a rubber roller body 152a and resin fibers protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a is rolled on a member having a higher temperature than the melting point of the resin fibers, so that the crushed resin portion 152b can be easily formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152, the roller-shaped member 10 is rolled on a member that is hotter than the melting point of the resin fiber with the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a in contact with the groove 175 along the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a. Therefore, even if the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a has a shape that bulges outward in the radial direction, for example, it is possible to form a resin portion 152b that is crushed over the entire outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the friction reduction roller 152 and more reliably suppress the entanglement of dust in the friction reduction roller 152.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152, not only the resin fibers exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a but also the resin fibers exposed on the side surface of the roller body 152a can be melted. Therefore, the resin part 152b in a crushed state can be formed not only on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a but also on the side surface of the roller body 152a, so that not only the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the friction reduction roller 152 but also the friction coefficient of the side surface of the friction reduction roller 152 can be reduced, and the entanglement of dust in the friction reduction roller 152 can be further suppressed.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152, the roller-shaped member 10 is pressed against the groove 175 with rounded corners while rolling on the hot iron plate 174. Therefore, when the roller-shaped member 10 rolls on the hot iron plate 174, the corners of the roller body 152a are pressed strongly against the corners 175a of the groove 175, so that the heat of the hot iron plate 174 is easily transferred to the resin fibers exposed at the corners of the roller body 152a. As a result, the resin fibers exposed at the corners of the roller body 152a are easily melted, and the resin part 152b in a crushed state can be easily formed at the corners of the roller body 152a.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152 described above, not only the resin fibers but also the surface of the roller body 152a are melted, so the roughness of the rubber surface that appears on the surface of the roller body 152a is reduced.

The friction reduction roller 152, suction tool 100, and manufacturing method for the friction reduction roller 152 described above are one embodiment of the present invention, and the specific configurations can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Below, we will explain modified examples of the above embodiment.

In the suction tool 100 of the above embodiment, the left and right rollers 151 and the rear roller 153 are made of rubber, but the friction reduction roller 152 may be used instead of the left and right rollers 151 and the rear roller 153. In short, it is sufficient that the friction reduction roller 152 is used for at least one of the multiple rollers 151 to 153.

In the suction tool 100 of the above embodiment, the movable support portion 169 moves the friction reduction roller 152 from the upper position to the lower position by the biasing force of the biasing member 169c, but the friction reduction roller 152 may be electrically moved from the upper position to the lower position when the friction reduction roller 152 leaves the floor surface. Also, the movable support portion 169 may be omitted. In this case, the friction reduction roller 152 is rotatably attached to the rear lower wall 126b while being disposed on the friction reduction roller 152.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152 of the above embodiment, the friction reduction roller 152 is manufactured using an iron plate 174 in which grooves 175 are formed along the outer circumferential surface and side surface of the roller body 152a, but the friction reduction roller 152 may also be manufactured using an iron plate 174 in which grooves 175 are formed only along the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a. In this case, the resin part 152b in a crushed state is formed only on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a.

The grooves 175 do not have to be formed in the iron plate 174. In this case, a roller-shaped member 10 having a rubber roller body 152a and resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a is rolled on the iron plate 174 heated to a high temperature. Even in this case, since the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a has a flat shape in a cross section parallel to the rotation axis, it is possible to form the resin portion 152b in a crushed state over the entire outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152 described above, the rubber forming the roller body 152a has a melting point lower than that of the resin portion 152b, but a rubber having a melting point higher than that of the resin portion 152b may be used. In this case, the surface of the roller body 152a does not have to be melted together with the resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 152a.

In the manufacturing method of the friction reduction roller 152 described above, a roller-shaped member 10 having a rubber roller body 152a and resin fibers protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 152a is manufactured, and the roller-shaped member 10 is rolled on a high-temperature member to form a resin portion 152b on the outer surface of the roller body 152a. However, the resin portion 152b may also be formed on the outer surface of the roller body 152a by adding molten resin to the outer surface of the rubber roller body 152a and solidifying it.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Suction tool 101 Cleaning machine 115 Opening 116 Flow path 120 Housing 130 Connection port 141 Scraping roller 142 Scraping roller 151 Other roller 152 Roller 152a Roller body 152b Resin part 153 Rear roller 158 Rear bracket 169 Movable support part 172 Rotation control part 174 Member 175 Groove 175a Corner

Claims (10)

A roller located on the underside of a suction tool attached to a suction-type cleaning machine,
A rubber roller body;
resin portions scattered in a crushed state on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body;
a fibrous inner resin portion located within the roller body ,
The resin portion is connected to the inner resin portion . A suction tool attached to a suction type cleaning machine,
a housing having a lower surface to which the suction space opens;
and a roller as defined in claim 1 located on the lower surface of the housing. a second roller located on the lower surface of the housing;
a flow passage formed in the housing, the flow passage opening into the suction space and communicating with a connection port for connecting the cleaning machine;
The suction tool according to claim 2 , wherein the roller is disposed at a position closer to an opening of the flow passage in the suction space than the other rollers. the other rollers are a pair of left and right rollers arranged on the lower surface of the housing on both left and right sides of the suction space,
A scraping roller disposed in the suction space;
a movable support portion that supports the roller so as to be movable in the vertical direction;
4. The suction tool of claim 3, further comprising: a rotation control configured to rotate the scraping roller with the roller in an up position while stopping the scraping roller by the roller moving downward. a rear bracket protruding rearward from the housing;
The suction tool of claim 4 , further comprising a rear roller attached to the rear bracket. A roller-shaped member having a rubber roller body and resin fibers protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the roller body is rolled on a member having a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin fibers,
the resin fibers protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the roller body are melted to form a crushed resin portion;
The method for manufacturing a roller includes solidifying the molten resin portion. A groove is formed in the member along the outer circumferential surface of the roller body,
The method for manufacturing a roller according to claim 6 , wherein the roller is rolled on the member with the outer circumferential surface of the roller body in contact with the groove. The groove has a shape that conforms to the outer circumferential surface and the side surface of the roller body,
The method for manufacturing a roller according to claim 7 , wherein the roller is rolled on the member with the outer circumferential surface and side surfaces of the roller body in contact with the grooves. The corners of the groove are rounded,
The method for manufacturing a roller according to claim 8 , wherein the roller-shaped member is rolled on the member while being pressed against the groove. The method for manufacturing a roller according to claim 6 , wherein the surface of the roller body is melted together with the resin fibers.

Images