JP2013198701A - Vacuum cleaner and attachment thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment for a vacuum cleaner that can be bent freely to facilitate cleaning of a surface to be cleaned is provided.
An attachment is an attachment of a vacuum cleaner that can be connected to a communication pipe that communicates with a suction side of an electric blower of the electric vacuum cleaner. The attachment 35 has a soft pipe 45 formed in a cylindrical shape by a flexible member. The attachment 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape by a member harder than the soft pipe 45 and has hard pipes 55 and 56 communicating with the soft pipe 45.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to an attachment of a vacuum cleaner communicating with the suction side of an electric blower and a vacuum cleaner including the attachment.

  Conventionally, a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body that can travel (moves) on a surface to be cleaned, and a pipe portion that is an air passage forming body that is detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body. Yes. This pipe portion generally includes a flexible hose body, a rigid long extension pipe that is a rigid body, a floor brush as a suction port body, and the like. Clean while running back and forth above.

  In the case of such a pipe part, for example, when cleaning the floor surface under an obstacle such as a desk or a TV stand or the floor surface in the gap behind the obstacle, the extension pipe becomes a protruding support rod and becomes an obstacle. , Cleaning work may be difficult.

JP 2010-252999 A

  In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, by providing a joint on the extension tube, it is possible to clean the surface to be cleaned, which is difficult to clean with the straight tube extension tube, by bending the extension tube at the position of the joint. It is said.

  However, in such a configuration, the extension tube basically bends in the joint opening / closing direction, and it cannot be said that a narrow gap or the like can be easily cleaned.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an attachment for a vacuum cleaner that can be freely bent to facilitate cleaning of a surface to be cleaned, and a vacuum cleaner including the attachment.

  The attachment of embodiment is an attachment of the vacuum cleaner which can be connected with respect to the communicating pipe connected to the suction side of the electric blower of a vacuum cleaner. This attachment has a soft pipe formed in a cylindrical shape by a flexible member. Further, this attachment is formed in a cylindrical shape by a member harder than the soft pipe and has a hard pipe communicating with the soft pipe.

It is a perspective view which shows the expansion | extension state of the attachment of the vacuum cleaner of one Embodiment. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of the suction part of an attachment same as the above. It is a side view which shows the cleaning state of the to-be-cleaned surface of the lower part of the obstruction by the vacuum cleaner provided with the same attachment. It is a top view which shows the cleaning state of the to-be-cleaned surface between the obstructions by a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a side view which shows the cleaning state of the upper part of the obstruction by a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above.

  The configuration of one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 11 denotes a so-called canister-type vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 11 includes a vacuum cleaner body 12 and a pipe portion 13 which is an air passage forming body detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body 12. And have.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 12 can turn and run on the floor surface F (FIG. 3) as a surface to be cleaned. The electric blower 18, a main body control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the electric blower 18, and these electric motors A cord reel device for supplying power to the blower 18 and the main body control unit, or a power supply unit such as a secondary battery is accommodated, and a dust collection unit (not shown) communicating with the suction side of the electric blower 18 is provided. . In addition, a main body suction port 19 is formed in the front portion of the cleaner body 12 so as to communicate with the dust collecting portion and to which the proximal end side of the tube portion 13 is connected.

  Further, the pipe part 13 is detachable from the hose body 21, the extension pipe 22 which is a hard part made of a hard material such as a synthetic resin, which can be attached to and detached from the hose body 21, and the extension pipe 22. And a floor brush 23 as a suction port. The hose body 21 and the extension pipe 22 constitute a communication pipe 24 that communicates with the suction side of the electric blower 18.

  The hose body 21 includes a flexible bellows-like hose portion 25, a connecting pipe portion 26 provided on the base end side (downstream side) of the hose portion 25 and connected to the main body suction port 19, and a hose portion 25. And a hand operating portion 27, which is a hard portion made of a hard material such as synthetic resin, provided on the front end side (upstream side) of the head.

  The proximal end side (downstream side) of the extension pipe 22 is detachably connected to the hand operation unit 27. Further, the hand operating part 27 is formed with a gripping part 28 that is gripped by the user so as to protrude to the base end side, and the gripping part 28 has an operation mode of the electric blower 18 (e.g., strong mode, medium mode, A setting button 29 for setting a weak mode, a stop mode, etc.) in the main body control unit is arranged.

  Further, the floor brush 23 is elongated in the left-right width direction, that is, a case body 31 that is formed in a horizontally long shape, and is rotatably connected to the rear portion of the case body 31 and is attachable to and detachable from the distal end side (upstream side) of the extension tube 22 And a connecting pipe 32 connected to the. A suction port (not shown) is formed on the lower surface of the case body that faces the floor surface F (FIG. 3), and the suction port communicates with the connecting pipe 32.

  An attachment 35 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 can be attached to and detached from the communication pipe 24 on the upstream side of the extension pipe 22 instead of the floor brush 23, for example. That is, the attachment 35 can communicate with the suction side of the electric blower 18 (FIG. 6) (via the hose body 21, the main body suction port 19 and the dust collecting portion) by connecting to the upstream side of the extension pipe 22. It has become.

  This attachment 35 includes a long soft pipe portion 41, a long hard pipe portion 42 connected coaxially with the soft pipe portion 41, and a suction portion 43 connected to the hard pipe portion 42. Are connected coaxially. The attachment 35 can be expanded and contracted at the connecting portion between the soft pipe portion 41 and the hard pipe portion 42 and at the hard pipe portion 42.

  The soft pipe part 41 includes a soft pipe 45 that is a soft pipe part body, an upstream side connection part 46 that is a tip side connection part connected to the tip side (upstream side) of the soft pipe 45, and a base of the soft pipe 45. And a downstream side connection portion 47 that is a base end side connection portion connected to the end side (downstream side).

  The soft pipe 45 is formed in a rectangular tube shape by a member having flexibility and elasticity such as rubber. Further, the soft pipe 45 is a flat quadrangle whose cross section is long in the left-right width direction, and can be bent and deformed (flexibly deformed) in the vertical direction, which is the short direction. The soft pipe 45 is elastically bent and deformed by applying an external force so that the user grips the grip portion 28 (FIG. 6) and presses the front end side of the suction portion 43 or the hard pipe portion 42 against the floor surface F. However, when this external force is released, it returns and deforms. In other words, the soft pipe 45 is basically configured to maintain its shape unless an external force is applied, and is configured to bend and deform elastically only when the external force is applied. Therefore, the soft pipe 45 is formed of a member such as a synthetic resin (elastic body) having a durometer hardness of about 60, for example, and is not so soft that the attachment 35 is difficult to operate, and the soft pipe 45 is not hard to bend easily. It is like that.

  The upstream connection portion 46 connects the soft pipe portion 41 (soft pipe 45) and the hard pipe portion 42, and has a flat rectangular tube shape that is long in the left-right width direction. Further, on one side portion of the upstream connection portion 46, a clamp portion 51, which is a holding portion for locking and holding the hard pipe portion 42 at a predetermined position (predetermined length) with respect to the soft pipe portion 41, is disposed. Has been. Further, a projection 52 for contracting the hard pipe portion 42 is provided on the front end side of one side portion of the upstream connection portion 46 so as to protrude toward the front (the hard pipe portion 42 side which is the front end side). Yes. Further, the upstream side connection portion 46 is formed of a member such as a synthetic resin that is harder than the soft pipe 45 and has rigidity (has no flexibility).

  Further, the downstream side connection part 47 is for connecting the soft pipe part 41 (soft pipe 45) to the extension pipe 22 in a detachable manner, and the base end side is a cylindrical shape corresponding to the extension pipe 22, and the distal end side The vertical dimension gradually becomes narrower, and the tip side has a rectangular tube shape corresponding to the soft pipe 45. That is, the soft pipe 45 is connected in communication with the suction side of the electric blower 18 (FIG. 6) (via the downstream connection portion 47 and the extension pipe 22). Further, the downstream side connection portion 47 is formed of a member such as a synthetic resin that is harder than the soft pipe 45 and has rigidity (has no flexibility).

  Further, the rigid pipe portion 42 includes an upstream rigid pipe 55 that is a distal-end rigid pipe as a rigid pipe, and a downstream rigid pipe 56 that is a proximal-side rigid pipe as a rigid pipe. It can be expanded and contracted at 56 connection positions. Therefore, the hard pipe portion 42 is configured in multiple stages (extensible and retractable) by the hard pipes 55 and 56.

  The upstream side hard pipe 55 is a portion where the suction portion 43 is connected to the tip side, for example, a synthetic resin that is a member that is harder and more rigid (not flexible) than the member that forms the soft pipe 45, etc. Is a solid pipe formed into a rectangular tube shape. Further, the upstream side hard pipe 55 has a flat rectangular shape whose cross section is long in the left-right width direction, and the base end side is inserted into the downstream side hard pipe 56. In other words, the upstream side hard pipe 55 communicates with the downstream side hard pipe 56. The hard pipe portion 42 can be expanded and contracted by inserting and removing the upstream hard pipe 55 with respect to the downstream hard pipe 56. Further, a projecting portion (not shown) projects from the other side portion of the upstream rigid pipe 55. This protrusion is in contact with the distal end side of the downstream rigid pipe 56 in a state where the upstream rigid pipe 55 is maximally contracted (inserted) with respect to the downstream rigid pipe 56, and the position of the upstream rigid pipe 55 This is the part that serves as a stopper for determining.

  Further, the downstream side hard pipe 56 is a solid pipe formed in a rectangular tube shape by a synthetic resin or the like that is a member that is harder and more rigid (not flexible) than the member that forms the soft pipe 45, for example. . Further, the downstream side hard pipe 56 has a flat rectangular shape whose cross section is long in the left-right width direction, and the base end side is inserted into the soft pipe part 41 (upstream connection part 46 and soft pipe 45). The soft pipe portion 41 can be taken in and out. That is, the downstream side hard pipe 56 communicates with the soft pipe part 41 (soft pipe 45), and the attachment 35 includes the upstream side hard pipe 55, the downstream side hard pipe 56, and the soft pipe part 41 (soft pipe 45). That is, the air passage cross-sectional area increases from the upstream side to the downstream side. Therefore, the attachment 35 is configured such that turbulent flow is not generated in the sucked air, and a step where the sucked dust is caught does not occur inside. Further, a plurality of locking recesses 58 that are locked by the clamp portion 51 are provided at one side portion of the downstream side hard pipe 56 so as to be spaced apart from each other. Then, the upstream side hard pipe 55 is locked and held in a state where the upstream side hard pipe 55 is extended to the maximum with respect to the downstream side hard pipe 56 (projected) at the distal end side of one side portion of the downstream side hard pipe 56. An extension holding unit 59 is disposed. The extension holding portion 59 is formed by inserting the protrusion 52 from the base end side in a state where the base end side of the downstream side hard pipe 56 is housed in the soft pipe portion 41, so that the upstream side hard pipe 55 is extended (projecting). The state (locking) is released.

  Therefore, the rigid pipe portion 42 accommodates the attachment 35 in a space-saving manner by shortening the length when the proximal end side of the rigid pipes 55 and 56 is accommodated in the soft pipe 45 and the attachment 35 is contracted to the maximum. In addition, the length in a fully extended state can be secured, and the surface to be cleaned at a position farther from the user (the position on the back side) can be cleaned.

  Further, the suction part 43 includes a connection part 61 whose base end side is detachably inserted and connected to the distal end side of the rigid pipe part 42, a suction body part 62 rotatable to the distal end side of the connection part 61, and the suction part 43 A nozzle portion 63 that is rotatable with respect to the main body portion 62 is provided. The suction portion 43 is not an essential configuration.

  The connecting portion 61 is formed in a rectangular tube shape by, for example, a synthetic resin that is a member that is harder and more rigid (not flexible) than the member that forms the soft pipe 45. Further, the connection portion 61 has a flat quadrangular shape whose cross section is long in the left-right width direction, and the proximal end side is inserted and connected to the rigid pipe portion 42 (upstream rigid pipe 55). Further, a flange portion 65 projects from the outer periphery of the connection portion 61. The flange portion 65 abuts against the distal end side of the rigid pipe portion 42 (upstream rigid pipe 55) when the proximal end side of the connecting portion 61 is inserted into the rigid pipe portion 42 (upstream rigid pipe 55). This is a portion that serves as a stopper for determining the position of the suction portion 43.

  The suction main body 62 is pivotally supported by a rotation shaft extending in the vertical direction with respect to the distal end side of the connection portion 61 and is rotatable with respect to the connection portion 61 in the left-right width direction. Further, the suction main body portion 62 communicates with the connection portion 61, and has a flat oval shape in which the distal end side is expanded in the left-right width direction from the proximal end side.

  In addition, the nozzle part 63 is implanted by the nozzle part body 67, which is a cylindrical part with an oval cross section inserted into the suction body part 62, and a peripheral surface on the front end side of the nozzle part body 67. And a bristle brush 68 having elasticity as a cleaning member for scraping F dust. The nozzle portion main body 67 is pivotally supported by a rotation shaft along the left-right width direction with respect to the suction main body portion 62, and can be rotated in the vertical direction together with the bristle brush 68.

  Next, the cleaning operation using the one embodiment will be described.

  When cleaning, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a hose body 21 (connecting pipe portion 26) is connected to the main body suction port 19 of the cleaner body 12, and the tip side of the hose body 21 is connected. The proximal end side of the extension pipe 22 is connected to the (hand operating section 27).

  When cleaning the normal floor surface F, a floor brush 23 is attached to the distal end side of the extension pipe 22 so that power can be supplied from the power supply unit to the electric blower 18 and the like, and then the gripping unit 28 is gripped. By operating the desired setting button 29, the main body control unit drives the electric blower 18 in the set operation mode. The negative pressure generated by the driving of the electric blower 18 acts on the dust collecting portion, the main body suction port 19, the hose body 21, the extension pipe 22 and the floor brush 23, and the floor brush 23 travels forward and backward on the floor surface F. Thus, dust on the floor surface F is sucked together with air from the suction port of the case body 31 of the floor brush 23 by the action of negative pressure. The sucked dust is sucked into the floor brush 23, the extension pipe 22, the hose body 21, the main body suction port 19 and the dust collecting portion together with the air, and separated and collected from the air in the dust collecting portion. The air in which the dust is collected is sucked into the electric blower 18, and after cooling the electric blower 18, it is exhausted to the outside of the cleaner body 12 through an exhaust hole (not shown).

  On the other hand, for example, when cleaning the floor surface F below the TV stand X1, which is an obstacle that supports the television receiver (TV) T, an attachment 35 is used instead of the floor brush 23 on the distal end side of the extension tube 22. Installing. For example, the attachment 35 is extended to the maximum, that is, the hard pipe 56 on the downstream side of the hard pipe 42 is extended to the maximum with respect to the soft pipe 41, and is held and held by the clamp 51. With the upstream hard pipe 55 extended to the maximum with respect to the hard pipe 56 and locked and held by the extension holding part 59, the user should slide the tip side of the attachment 35 into the lower part of the TV stand X1. Different directions on the distal end side and the proximal end side of the soft pipe 45 of the attachment 35 due to the downward reaction force from the floor F and the downward external force to the grip portion 28 by pushing down the grip portion 28 downward The attachment 35 bends at the position of the soft pipe 45, and the tip side of the attachment 35 (the hard pipe part 42 and the suction part 43) including the tip side of the soft pipe 45 is below the TV stand X1. It enters into. And a user moves the front end side (suction part 43) of the attachment 35 back and forth on the floor F, and the front end side (suction part 43) of the attachment 35 by the negative pressure produced by the drive of the electric blower 18 The dust on the floor surface F is sucked together with air (FIG. 3). In addition, the suction part 43 makes the bristle brush 68 contact with the floor surface F by rotating the nozzle part 63 downward with respect to the suction body part 62, and the dust adhering to this floor surface F is effective. Can be scraped off.

  For example, when cleaning the floor F with a narrow gap between the obstacles X2 and X3 such as a basket arranged along the wall W, the suction portion 43 of the attachment 35 connected to the distal end side of the extension tube 22 is used. Remove. Then, in a state where the attachment 35 is extended to the maximum, for example, the user twists the arm that grips the grip portion 28 and tilts the grip portion 28 in the horizontal direction, that is, the longitudinal direction of the cross section of the attachment 35 is up and down. By sliding the tip side of the attachment 35 into the gap between the obstacles X2 and X3 as being aligned, the direction of the tip side of the attachment 35 is regulated along this gap, so that the tip of the soft pipe 45 External force acts on the side, this attachment 35 bends at the position of the soft pipe 45, the tip side of the attachment 35 (hard pipe part 42) including the tip side of this soft pipe 45 is the gap between the obstacles X2, X3 Get into. Then, the user moves the tip side of the attachment 35 back and forth on the floor surface F, and the negative pressure generated by driving the electric blower 18 removes dust on the floor surface F from the tip side of the attachment 35. Inhale with (Figure 4).

  Further, for example, when cleaning the upper part of the furniture X4 as an obstacle, the attachment 35 connected to the distal end side of the extension tube 22 is contracted. That is, the attachment 35 releases the locking and holding of the hard pipe portion 42 (the downstream hard pipe 56) by the clamp portion 51, and the proximal end side of the downstream hard pipe 56 is the soft pipe portion 41 (the soft pipe 45). The base end side of the released upstream hard pipe 55 is stored in the downstream hard pipe 56 stored in the soft pipe portion 41 (the soft pipe 45). Therefore, in this state, the proximal end side of the hard pipe portion 42 (hard pipe 55, 56) is accommodated in the soft pipe portion 41 (soft pipe 45), and the hard pipe portion 42 (hard pipe 55, 56). Since the soft pipe 45 is supported from the inside by the rigidity, deformation of the soft pipe 45 is restricted, and the soft pipe 45 is not bent. Then, the user moves the front end side (suction part 43) of the attachment 35 back and forth on the top of the furniture X4, and sucks the dust on the top of the furniture X4 together with air from the front end side (suction part 43) of the attachment 35 ( (Figure 5).

  According to the embodiment described above, the soft pipe 45 formed in a cylindrical shape by a flexible member, and the hard pipes 55 and 56 formed in a cylindrical shape by a member harder than the soft pipe 45 are provided. As a result, the user can bend and deform (flexibly deform) the attachment 35 at the position of the soft pipe 45 in an unjoint (free joint, free joint) shape. Accordingly, the user can freely operate the direction and position of the tip side of the attachment 35. For example, the user can slide the tip side of the attachment 35 into a low position such as a lower part of the obstacle or a gap between obstacles. It is possible to clean the surface to be cleaned more easily by deforming the attachment 35 freely.

  Moreover, when bending and deforming the soft pipe 45, the gripping portion 28 is simply gripped and the tip end side of the attachment 35 is slid into a low position such as a lower portion of the obstacle or a gap between the obstacles. The direction of the proximal end of the soft pipe 45 continuous with 28 and the direction of the distal end side of the attachment soft pipe 45 (hard pipes 55, 56) and the distal end of the continuous soft pipe 45 are different, and external force is automatically applied to the soft pipe 45. Since it is deformed by the action, an operation for deforming the soft pipe 45 is unnecessary, and the operability is good.

  Further, by allowing the proximal ends of the hard pipes 55 and 56 to be housed in the soft pipe 45, the bending deformation of the soft pipe 45 can be restricted by the hard pipes 55 and 56. Therefore, when cleaning a portion where the soft pipe 45 does not need to be bent and deformed, the bending deformation of the attachment 35 at the position of the soft pipe 45 can be prevented and cleaning can be performed more stably.

  Furthermore, the soft pipe 45 can be easily bent and deformed particularly in the short direction of the cross section by having a rectangular cross section (rectangular shape) having a longitudinal direction and a short direction. In this case, the user can easily and freely change the direction in which the soft pipe 45 is easily bent and deformed by twisting the grip portion 28 and changing the short direction of the cross section of the soft pipe 45 as necessary. The soft pipe 45 can be easily bent and deformed in substantially any direction.

  Then, by making the soft pipe 45 the base end side of the attachment 35 and the hard pipe portion 42 (hard pipes 55 and 56) the tip end side of the attachment 35, the attachment 35 is not bent, that is, cleaning the gap or the like. Since the portions that can be inserted at the time can be taken longer on the tip side, these portions can be more reliably cleaned.

  Moreover, by using such an attachment 35 for the vacuum cleaner 11, cleaning of the surface to be cleaned such as the floor surface F becomes easier, and the cleaning property is improved.

  In the above embodiment, the attachment 35 may be detachable from the distal end side (upstream side) of the hand operating portion 27 of the hose body 21 of the communication pipe 24, for example.

  Further, the hard pipe portion 42 can be expanded and contracted by the two hard pipes 55 and 56. However, the hard pipe portion 42 may be configured by, for example, three or more hard pipes. You may comprise by a hard pipe.

  Further, the soft pipe 45 has a rectangular tube shape having a longitudinal direction in the left-right width direction and a short direction in the up-down direction. For example, a corner having a long direction in the up-down direction and a short direction in the left-right width direction. It is good also as a cylinder shape. That is, the soft pipe 45 can have any cross-sectional shape as long as it can be bent and deformed. In this case, the hard pipe portion 42 and the like can be similarly handled by corresponding to the shape of the soft pipe 45.

  And although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

11 Vacuum cleaner
12 Vacuum cleaner body
18 Electric blower
24 communication pipe
35 Attachment
45 Soft pipe
55 Upstream rigid pipe as rigid pipe
56 Downstream rigid pipe as rigid pipe

Claims (3)

An attachment of a vacuum cleaner connectable to a communication pipe communicating with the suction side of the electric blower of the electric vacuum cleaner,
A soft pipe formed into a cylindrical shape by a flexible member;
An attachment for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a hard pipe that is formed in a cylindrical shape by a member harder than the soft pipe and communicates with the soft pipe. The attachment of the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the soft pipe can accommodate at least a part of the hard pipe therein. A vacuum cleaner body containing an electric blower,
An electric vacuum cleaner comprising: the attachment according to claim 1, wherein the electric vacuum blower communicates with a suction side of the electric blower and can be connected to the vacuum cleaner main body.

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