JPH0370527A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable ticks or the like in a dust collecting chamber, to be killed with simple composition by providing a parting wall for separating the dust collecting chamber and an exhaust space from each other, with a communicating port, and by setting a valve disc for opening or closing this communicating port and energized with an elastic body. CONSTITUTION:At the lower section of a first parting wall 16, a cylindrical section 36 is formed, and at its rear surface section, a communicating port 37 is formed to be opened. In the cylindrical section 36, a valve disc 38 for opening or closing the communicating port 37 is fitted to slide freely to the front and rear, and be valve disc 38 has a blocking section 39 for blocking the communicating port 37 from the front side, on the central section, and has a notched section 40 on the peripheral section. Besides, a spring 42 as an elastic body is fitted on, and the valve disc 38 is always energized in the closing direction and toward an opened space 19 from a dust collecting chamber 17 and is to be opened when differential pressure between the first exhaust space 19 and the dust collecting chamber 17 exceeds a specified value. On a second parting wall 18, the cylindrical internal exhaust port 46 of a ventilation flue from the first exhaust space 19 to a second exhaust space 20 and an external exhaust port 22 is formed to be opened, and on a channel section 47, a shutter 48 as a blocking means for blocking the internal exhaust port 46 to be freely opened or closed is supported vertically slidably.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a built-in electric blower,
In particular, it relates to a device that recirculates exhaust air from an electric blower to the dust collection chamber side and uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms in the dust collection chamber.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a vacuum cleaner that returns hot exhaust air from an electric blower to a dust collection chamber to kill harmful microorganisms such as mites gathered in the dust collection chamber is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7774/1983. As described in , the exhaust port that communicates the exhaust side of the electric blower with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body and the intake port that communicates the dust collection chamber that communicates with the intake side of the electric blower with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body are connected with a hose. What made it possible, or JP-A-6
As described in Publication No. 4-49527, a vacuum cleaner has a long recirculation air path that can be opened and closed to guide exhaust air from an exhaust space communicating with the exhaust side of an electric blower to a dust collection chamber in the main body of the vacuum cleaner. was there.

However, in the former structure described above, in which the exhaust air is recirculated using a hose, etc., the hose located outside the vacuum cleaner body is long in the exhaust air circulation path, so while the exhaust air passes through the hose, the outside air It takes a long time to raise the temperature inside the dust collection chamber to a predetermined temperature that is sufficient to kill dust mites and other insects. Also, for the same reason, when the temperature inside the dust collection chamber becomes high enough, the temperature in the exhaust space becomes even higher, so the heat resistance of parts on the side of this exhaust space must be improved, which makes them expensive. was.

On the other hand, the latter structure, which has a long return air path inside the vacuum cleaner body, requires a large number of parts to configure the return air path, making the vacuum cleaner larger and more complex. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, with conventional vacuum cleaners that recirculate exhaust air using a hose, etc., it takes time to kill dust mites, etc., and heat-resistant parts are required, making them expensive. There was a problem. In addition, conventional vacuum cleaners that have a long return air path inside the vacuum cleaner body have problems such as the vacuum cleaner body becoming larger and more complicated.

The present invention aims to solve these problems and provides an inexpensive vacuum cleaner that can quickly kill harmful microorganisms in the dust collection chamber with exhaust air, has a simple structure, and has a compact vacuum cleaner body. The purpose is to provide the following.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner main body,
an electric blower built into the vacuum cleaner body, the vacuum cleaner body having an internal dust collection chamber communicating with the intake side of the electric blower and an exhaust space communicating with the exhaust side of the electric blower; In the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner has an intake port that communicates the dust collection chamber with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, and an exhaust port that communicates the exhaust space with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, the dust collection chamber and the exhaust space inside the vacuum cleaner body. A communication port is provided in the partition wall separating the two, and a valve body is provided that opens and closes the communication port and is biased by an elastic body in the closing direction by a spring or the like and from the dust collection chamber side to the exhaust space side. be. In particular, the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 is further provided with a closing means for closing at least one of the intake port and the exhaust port in an openable and closable manner.

On the other hand, in the vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, the vacuum cleaner main body has a mounting surface on the outer surface that comes into contact with a mounting surface such as a floor surface, and the air intake port is provided on this mounting surface. and an exhaust port.

(Function) In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 of the present invention, both the intake port and the exhaust port are left open during cleaning. Then, when the electric blower is driven, dust is sucked into the dust collection chamber from outside the vacuum cleaner body through the intake port and is captured, but the air that has passed through the electric blower is passed through the exhaust space and the exhaust port. Exhaust air is discharged outside the vacuum cleaner body. At this time,
Since the differential pressure between the dust collection chamber and the exhaust space is small, the valve element, which is biased by an elastic body from the dust collection chamber side to the exhaust space side, allows communication between the partition wall between the dust collection chamber and the exhaust space. The mouth is blocked. Furthermore, when thermally disinfecting the inside of the dust collection chamber, the electric blower is driven with the intake port or the exhaust port closed by the closing means. At this time, because the intake or exhaust port is blocked, the differential pressure between the exhaust space and the dust collection chamber will be greater than during cleaning, so the pressure acting from the exhaust space to the dust collection chamber will increase. The valve body operates against the bias, the communication port is opened, and the dust collection chamber and the exhaust space are directly communicated with each other. Therefore, the exhaust air heated by passing through the electric blower is returned to the dust collection chamber through the exhaust space and the communication port, and a circulating airflow around the electric blower, the exhaust space, and the dust collection chamber is generated.

As a result, the temperature inside the dust collection chamber increases, and harmful microorganisms such as mites in the dust stored in the dust collection chamber are killed by the heat. During cleaning, if the suction port of the suction port connected to the suction port via a hose or extension pipe becomes blocked, or if the amount of dust in the dust collection chamber increases, the pressure inside the dust collection chamber will drop. By doing so, the valve body opens and leak air is supplied to the electric blower, thereby preventing burnout of the electric blower.

On the other hand, in the vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, when cleaning, the mounting surface of the vacuum cleaner main body having the intake port or the exhaust port is not brought into contact with the mounting surface, so that both the intake port and the exhaust port are Leave it open. On the other hand, when thermally disinfecting the inside of the dust collection chamber, the mounting surface of the vacuum cleaner body with the intake or exhaust port should be brought into contact with the mounting surface such as the floor, and this mounting surface should be used to Block the exhaust port.

(Example) Hereinafter, the configuration of an example of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1, 11 is a vacuum cleaner body, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 12 are pivotally attached to the rear side of the lower part of the vacuum cleaner body 11, and a swing wheel 13 is rotatably provided to the front side. It is being Further, a handle 14 is provided on the top surface of the cleaner body 11, for example.

In the vacuum cleaner main body 11, a dust collection chamber 17 is defined at the front by a first partition wall 16, and a dust collection chamber 17 is defined at the front part by a second partition wall 18 adjacent to the rear side of the dust collection chamber 17. One exhaust space 19 is defined and a second exhaust space 20 is defined behind it.

Further, a cylindrical intake port 21 is formed in the front surface of the cleaner body 11 to communicate the dust collection chamber 17 to the outside of the cleaner body 11. Although not shown, the suction port body is detachably connected to the suction port 21 via a hose and an extension pipe. On the other hand, a lattice-shaped outer exhaust port 22 is formed on the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 to communicate the exhaust space 19, 20 to the outside of the vacuum cleaner main body II.

Note that a dust collection filter 23 such as a dust collection bag is removably installed in the dust collection chamber 17.

Further, a lattice 24 is formed on the upper part of the first partition wall 18, and an electric blower 2G is housed in the upper part of the first exhaust space 19, facing the lattice 24. This electric blower 26 consists of an electric motor 27 and a fan 28 that is rotationally driven by the electric motor 27.
covered by 0. The electric blower 26 is supported at both the corner walls 16 and 18 through rubber supports 31 and 32 at the front and rear sides, and the annular rubber support 31 on the front side is connected to the grid 24. It is in close contact with the first partition wall 16 surrounding the fan cover 30, and is also in close contact with the peripheral portion of the fan cover 30. As a result, the intake port 29 of the fan cover 30 is airtightly isolated from the exhaust space 19 and communicated with the dust collection chamber 17 via the lattice 24. On the other hand, an exhaust port (not shown) formed in the frame of the electric motor 27 directly communicates with the first exhaust space 19 .

Further, a cylindrical portion 36 is formed at the lower part of the first partition wall 16 that partitions the dust collection chamber 17 and the first exhaust space 19.
As shown in detail in FIG. 2, a communication port 37 that directly communicates the dust collection chamber 17 and the first exhaust space 19 is formed in the rear surface of the cylindrical portion 36. As shown in FIG.

A valve body 38 that opens and closes the communication port 37 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 36 so as to be slidable back and forth.

The valve body 38 has a closing portion 39 in the center that closes the communication port 37 from the front, and has a notch 40 in the periphery. Further, a spring 42 as an elastic body is installed between a receiver portion 41 formed at the front part of the cylindrical portion 36 and the valve body 38, and this spring 42 causes the valve body 38 to , is always energized backward, that is, in the closing direction, and from the dust collection chamber 17 to the exhaust space I9, and opens when the differential pressure between the first exhaust space 19 and the dust collection chamber 17 exceeds a predetermined value. ing.

Further, a second partition wall 1 that partitions both the exhaust spaces 19 and 20 is provided.
8 includes a cylindrical inner exhaust port 46 that is a ventilation path from the first exhaust space 19 to the second exhaust space 20 and the outer exhaust port 22.
is formed with an opening. A shutter 48 serving as a closing means for closing the inner exhaust port 46 in an openable and closable manner is supported in a groove 47 formed in the inner exhaust port 46 so as to be vertically slidable.

An arm 49 integrated with the shutter 48 passes through the upper surface of the cleaner body 11 and projects to the outside of the cleaner body 11.

Note that during normal cleaning performed by connecting a hose, extension pipe, and suction port body to the suction port 21, the pressure inside the dust collection chamber 17 is approximately several hundred H20 (water columns) lower than atmospheric pressure.
When the exhaust port 46 is sealed, the pressure within the exhaust space 19 becomes higher than atmospheric pressure by 1500 mmH.0 or more. Therefore, the operating point of the valve body 38, which is determined by the tension of the spring 42, etc., is set so that the valve body 38 does not operate during cleaning.
The differential pressure between the inside of 7 and the inside of the exhaust space 19 is several 100 to 1500 m.
It is set between mH and 0.

Furthermore, although not shown, the dust collection chamber 17 or the
A thermostat is provided in the exhaust space 19 to stop the electric motor 27 when its temperature reaches a set temperature of 50° C. or higher.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

During normal cleaning, the suction port body is connected to the open suction port 21 of the cleaner body 11 via a hose and an extension pipe. Further, the shutter 48 is raised by operating the arm 49, and the inner exhaust port 46 is left open. When the electric blower 26 is driven, dust and air are sucked in through the suction port of the suction port body and guided into the dust collection chamber 17 of the cleaner body 11 via the extension pipe and hose. Here, the dust is captured in the dust collection filter 23. On the other hand, the air filtered by this dust collecting filter 23 is transferred to the first partition wall 16
lattice 24, the intake port 29 of the fan cover 30, the inside of the electric blower 26, the exhaust port of its frame, the first exhaust space 19,
The opened inner exhaust port 46 and second exhaust space 20 are sequentially valved, and the air is discharged from the outer exhaust port 22 to the outside of the cleaner main body 11 as exhaust air. At this time, the inside of the dust collection chamber 17 and the
Since the pressure difference between the inside of the exhaust space 19 and the inside of the exhaust space 19 is smaller than a predetermined value, the tension of the spring 42 moves the valve body 38 to the rear side to collect dust, as shown in FIG. 1, against this pressure difference. The communication port 37 between the chamber 17 and the first exhaust space 19 is closed.

Also, when performing thermal disinfection inside the dust collection chamber 17, the arm 4
9 is operated to lower the shutter 48, and the inner exhaust port 46 is closed by the shutter 48.

Then, in this state, the electric blower 26 is driven.

At this time, since the inner exhaust port 46 is closed, the pressure in the first exhaust space 19 increases, and the differential pressure between the first exhaust space 19 and the dust collection chamber 17 becomes higher than during the cleaning. growing. Therefore, due to the pressure acting from the first exhaust space 19 side to the dust collection chamber 17 side, the valve body 38 moves forward against the tension of the spring 42, as shown in FIG. 2, and the communication port 37 opens. The dust collection chamber 17 and the first exhaust space 19 are opened and directly communicated with each other.

Therefore, the exhaust air heated by passing through the electric blower 26 passes through the first exhaust space 19, the open communication port 37, the notch 40 of the valve body 38, and the inside of the cylindrical portion 36, as shown by the arrow. A circulating airflow is generated that returns from the electric blower 26 to the electric blower 26 through the first exhaust space 19 and the dust collection chamber I7.

Note that even if the air intake port 21 remains open, almost no air is sucked in from the air intake port 21 because the dust filter 23 acts as an air path resistance.

The circulating airflow that repeatedly passes through the electric blower 26 causes the temperature inside the dust collection chamber 17 to rise, and this temperature reaches 50°C.
reach more than that. After this temperature of 50° C. or higher is maintained for about 2 to 3 minutes, the operation of the electric blower 26 is automatically stopped by the thermostat. In this way, harmful microorganisms such as mites in the dust stored in the dust collection chamber 17 are killed.

In addition, even during normal cleaning, the suction port of the suction port body may be blocked by carpet, etc., or the dust collection filter 23 may be blocked.
When the amount of dust inside increases and the dust collecting filter 23 becomes clogged, the pressure inside the dust collecting chamber 17 decreases and the valve element 38 opens. by this,
Leak air is supplied to the electric blower 26, and generation of excessive current and burnout of the electric blower 26 are prevented.

In this manner, according to the above configuration, thermal disinfection can be performed using only the cleaner main body 11 without connecting other parts such as a hose. Further, since the exhaust air from the electric blower 26 is directly returned to the dust collection chamber 17, there is little heat loss and the temperature inside the dust collection chamber 17 can be raised quickly. Along with this,
Exhaust space 1 when the temperature inside the dust collection chamber 17 reaches a sufficiently high temperature
The temperature on the 9 side can be kept low, and this exhaust space 1
High heat resistance is not required for parts on the 9 side. In addition, since there is no need to provide a long and complicated return air path inside the cleaner body 11, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the cleaner body 11 can be made smaller and cheaper.

Note that the inner exhaust port 46 may not be provided, and the outer exhaust port 22 may be closed by a closing means so as to be openable and closable.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a closing means, that is, a shutter 48, is provided for closing the exhaust port 46 in an openable and closable manner, but instead of this, a structure may be provided in which a closing means for closing the intake port 21 in a freely openable and closable manner. When this structure is adopted, when the electric blower 26 is driven with the intake port 21 closed, the pressure inside the dust collection chamber 17 decreases, causing the inside of the dust collection chamber 17 and the exhaust space 19 to The differential pressure becomes larger than that during cleaning, and the valve body 38 opens as expected.

Furthermore, both the intake port and the exhaust port may be closed.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG.

The vacuum cleaner of this embodiment is not provided with an inner exhaust port 46 and a shutter 48 as in the previous embodiment,
There is one exhaust space 19.

The vacuum cleaner main body 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case shape that is long in the front and back direction, and the outer front and rear surfaces are vertical and flat mounting surfaces IIs and Ilb.

Therefore, the vacuum cleaner main body 11 can be supported in an independent state by bringing the front mounting surface 111 or the rear mounting surface 11b down into contact with a mounting surface 51 such as a floor surface. It has become.

An air intake port 21 is opened on the front mounting surface 11i of the vacuum cleaner main body 11, and the rear mounting surface fl
An exhaust port 22 is opened at b. In addition, this exhaust port 2
An annular grounding convex portion 52 is formed on the mounting surface 11b surrounding 2.

Then, during normal cleaning, the rear wheel 12 and the swing wheel,
13 is grounded, and the vacuum cleaner body 11 is placed on the placement surface 51 with its lower surface facing down. At this time, the intake port 21
Or the mounting surface 111 of the vacuum cleaner body 11 with the exhaust port 22
, ilb is not in contact with the mounting surface 5I, so both the intake port 21 and the exhaust port 22 are open.

On the other hand, when thermally disinfecting the inside of the dust collection chamber 17, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the grounding protrusion 52 is grounded,
The vacuum cleaner main body 11 is placed upright on the mounting surface 51 with the mounting surface 11b on the rear surface facing down. As a result, the mounting surface 51 closes the exhaust port 22 . In other words, the ground convex portion 52 in contact with the mounting surface 51 blocks the exhaust port 22 from the outside air. In this state, electric blower 2
6, the pressure in the exhaust space 19 increases and the valve body 38 opens.

Moreover, on the contrary, the mounting surface 11 on the front of the vacuum cleaner main body 11! By placing the cleaner body 11 in contact with the placement surface 51, the air intake port 21 can be closed and thermal disinfection can be performed.

Furthermore, even when the vacuum cleaner main body 11 is placed with its bottom side facing down, heat disinfection can be performed by, for example, bringing the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner main body 11 into contact with a vertical wall and blocking the exhaust port 22. It is also possible to do so.

According to the above configuration, there is no need for a special opening/closing means to close the intake port 21 or the exhaust port 22, so the number of parts can be further reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the vacuum cleaner main body 11 can be made smaller. It can be done and it can be done cheaply.

Note that the grounding convex portion 52 is not necessarily necessary, and the mounting surface 11 on the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner main body 11. b may be made completely flat so that the exhaust port 22 is directly in close contact with the mounting surface 51.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

In the vacuum cleaner of claim 1, a communication port is provided in the partition wall that partitions the dust collection chamber and the exhaust space within the vacuum cleaner body, and the communication port is opened and closed in the closing direction and from the dust collection chamber side to the exhaust space side. A valve element biased by an elastic body is provided, and a closing means is provided to freely open and close at least one of the intake port and the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner body. By driving the electric blower in a closed state, the exhaust air from the electric blower can be circulated back to the dust collection chamber, and the inside of this dust collection chamber can be thermally disinfected. , it is possible to perform thermal disinfection quickly, and there is no need to raise the temperature of the exhaust space excessively, therefore, high heat resistance is not required for the parts in the exhaust space, and there is no need for complicated and long return air inside the vacuum cleaner body. Since there is no need to provide a channel, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the vacuum cleaner main body can be made smaller and cheaper. Furthermore, even during normal use, if the intake port becomes clogged or the amount of dust in the dust collection chamber increases, the valve body opens and leak air is supplied to the electric blower. , the valve body can also be used as a leak valve.

On the other hand, in the vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, at least one of the intake port and the exhaust port is provided on the mounting surface of the vacuum cleaner body that comes into contact with the mounting surface such as the floor. The air intake or exhaust port can be blocked by the mounting surface, and there is no need for special blocking means to do so.The number of parts can be further reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the vacuum cleaner itself can be made smaller. It can be done at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the same valve body, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention. 11. Vacuum cleaner body, lls, fib... Placement surface, 16. Partition wall, 17. Dust collection chamber, 19. 20. Exhaust space, 21. Inlet port, 22. Exhaust port, 26. - Electric blower, 37... Communication port, 38... Valve body, 42... Spring as elastic body, 46... Exhaust port, 48... Shutter as closing means, 51... Placement surface.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A vacuum cleaner main body and an electric blower built into the vacuum cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner main body communicating with a dust collection chamber communicating with an intake side of the electric blower and an exhaust side of the electric blower. It has an exhaust space inside, and has an intake port that communicates the dust collection chamber with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, and an exhaust port that communicates the exhaust space with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, A communication port is provided in the partition wall that partitions the dust chamber and the exhaust space, and a valve body is provided that opens and closes the communication port and is biased by an elastic body in the closing direction and from the dust collection chamber side to the exhaust space side, A vacuum cleaner characterized by comprising a closing means for closing at least one of the intake port and the exhaust port in an openable and closable manner. (2) A vacuum cleaner main body and an electric blower built into the vacuum cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner main body communicating with a dust collection chamber communicating with an intake side of the electric blower and an exhaust side of the electric blower. It has an exhaust space inside, and has an intake port that communicates the dust collection chamber with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, and an exhaust port that communicates the exhaust space with the outside of the vacuum cleaner body, A communication port is provided in the partition wall that partitions the dust chamber and the exhaust space, and a valve body is provided that opens and closes the communication port and is biased by an elastic body in the closing direction and from the dust collection chamber side to the exhaust space side, The vacuum cleaner main body has a mounting surface on the outer surface that comes into contact with the mounting surface, and the mounting surface is provided with at least one of the intake port and the exhaust port. Vacuum cleaner.