JP4798637B2 - Dust collector and vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust collector that separates dust from air containing dust, and a vacuum cleaner that includes the dust collector.

  A vacuum cleaner provided with a conventional cyclone dust collector is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. The cyclone dust collecting device swirls the air sucked from the air suction portion provided in the circumferential portion of the substantially cylindrical collecting container along the inner peripheral surface of the collecting container, and then passes through the filter means. The air in a collection container is exhausted from the exhaust part provided in the collection container. The cyclone dust collector swirls relatively large dust contained in the air, collects it at the bottom of the collection container by centrifugal force, and moves relatively small dust flying on the airflow into the airflow. Collect by placed filter means.

  When the cyclone dust collector as described above is used in a general household, cotton dust generated from futons and clothes occupies most of the dust collection waste volume. Since the fibers constituting the cotton dust itself have elasticity, the density of the dust is small, and it is necessary to frequently remove (throw away) the dust from the dust collecting portion. In addition, since such dust is light and easily scattered, there is a problem that the user feels uncomfortable when the dust is scattered and re-scattered when disposed in an external trash can.

  However, since the cyclone dust collecting device described in Patent Document 1 collects dust by relying solely on the flow of air, it can compress low-density dust such as collected fibers to a certain level or more. It is not possible to improve the degree of dust accumulation in the limited dust collection space. Therefore, if the collected dust is not thrown away frequently, the collection efficiency will drop, so it takes time and effort to throw away the dust, or when the dust is thrown away, the dust is not compressed and dispersed in the air. Therefore, there is a problem that the discomfort caused by dust scattering and re-scattering cannot be eliminated when it is disposed in a trash can.

In order to solve such a problem, it is necessary to compress the collected dust as hard as possible. Patent Document 2 proposes a dust collector provided with mechanical compression means as a conventional dust collector provided with dust compression means. In the dust collector provided with such a mechanical compression means, the collected dust can be compressed firmly, so that the dust collection efficiency does not decrease even when used continuously for a long time.
JP 2006-75584 A JP 2005-13312 A

  In a vacuum cleaner equipped with a cyclone dust collector, relatively small dust that has not been separated by the cyclone dust collector is further collected by filter means through which air discharged from the cyclone dust collector passes. If dust collects in the filter means, the dust collection efficiency is lowered, so it is necessary to periodically clean the filter means. In the cyclone dust collecting apparatus of Patent Document 1, a grill member that filters air is disposed inside the cyclone body, but means for cleaning the grill member is not disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a brush that removes dust from the mesh part. However, since the brush is moved by pushing down a handle operated by the user from above, dust is removed from the mesh part. It was a new problem that bothered hands.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a dust collector that can easily clean a filter that filters air.

A dust collector according to the present invention is a dust collector that separates dust from air containing dust, and includes a dust collection container, a rotating unit, a filter, an operation member , another filter, and a dust removal member . Prepare. The dust collecting container has an inflow port through which air flows and an outflow port serving as an air outlet. Dust separated from air accumulates in the dust collecting container. The rotating part is disposed inside the dust collecting container and is provided so that air from the inlet to the outlet flows. The rotating part is rotatable around the axis. The rotating part is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and air flows into the rotating part through the side part of the rotating part, and air flows out to the outside of the rotating part through the end part of the rotating part. . The filter filters air flowing into the rotating part. The filter is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the side portion of the rotating portion. The operating member rotates the rotating portion relative to the filter by a rotating operation around the axis from the outside of the dust collector. The other filter further filters the air after being filtered by the filter. The dust removing member rotates integrally with the rotating unit when the rotating unit rotates, and removes dust adhering to other filters.

Further, the operation member may include a handle .

  The dust collector may further include a motor that is supplied with electric power and applies a rotational driving force to the rotating unit.

The dust collecting device may further include a shielding member that partitions the inside of the dust collecting container into a separating unit that separates dust from air and a dust collecting unit that accumulates dust .

  The vacuum cleaner according to the present invention includes the dust collector according to any one of the above aspects.

  According to the dust collector of the present invention, the filter that filters air can be easily cleaned by providing the rotating part that rotates relative to the filter with the function of cleaning the filter.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

  In the embodiments described below, each component is not necessarily essential for the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the following embodiments, when referring to the number, amount, etc., unless otherwise specified, the above number is an example, and the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the number, amount, etc.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of the cyclone dust collector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cyclone dust collector with the bottom lid closed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cyclone dust collector with the bottom lid open. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of the cyclone dust collector centering on the helical rotary compression unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a rotational force transmission path to the spiral rotary compression unit of the cyclone dust collector.

  First, a schematic configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner X will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner X includes a cleaner main body 1, an air inlet 2, a connection pipe 3, a connection hose 4, and an operation handle 5. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 includes an electric blower (not shown), a cyclone dust collector Y, a control device (not shown), and the like. Details of the cyclone dust collector Y will be described later.

  The electric blower includes a blower fan for performing intake air and a blower drive motor that rotationally drives the blower fan. The control device includes control devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and comprehensively controls the vacuum cleaner X. Specifically, in the control device, the CPU executes various processes according to a control program stored in the ROM.

  The cleaner body 1 is connected to the air inlet 2 with a connection hose 4 connected to the front end of the cleaner body 1 and a connection pipe 3 connected to the connection hose 4 interposed therebetween. Accordingly, in the electric vacuum cleaner X, the electric blower built in the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is operated, whereby intake from the intake port 2 is performed. Then, the air sucked from the intake port 2 flows into the cyclone dust collector Y through the connection pipe 3 and the connection hose 4. In the cyclone dust collector Y, dust is centrifuged from the sucked air. The air after the dust is separated by the cyclone dust collector Y is discharged from an exhaust port (not shown) provided at the rear end of the cleaner body 1.

  The operation handle 5 is provided with an operation switch (not shown) for the user to perform the operation / non-operation of the electric vacuum cleaner X, the operation mode selection operation, and the like. Further, in the vicinity of the operation switch, a display unit (not shown) such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that displays the current state of the vacuum cleaner X is also provided.

  Hereinafter, the cyclone dust collector Y will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the inside of the cyclone dust collector Y is shown in a transparent manner for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 2, the cyclone dust collecting device Y is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes a housing 10, a dust collecting container 11 (an example of a collecting container), an inner cylinder 12, an upper filter unit 13, and a dust receiving unit 14. And a dust removal drive mechanism 15 shown in FIG. The housing 10 is an example of an upper lid that covers the opening of the dust collection container 11.

  In the cyclone dust collecting apparatus Y, the dust collecting container 11, the inner cylinder 12, the upper filter unit 13, and the dust receiving part 14 have a vertical central axis P that is a central axis extending in the vertical direction of the substantially cylindrical dust collecting container 11. It is arranged coaxially in the center. The cyclone dust collecting device Y is configured to be detachable from the cleaner body 1. An inner cylinder 12 including an inner cylinder filter 122 is disposed inside the dust collecting container 11.

  The dust collecting container 11 disposed at the lower part of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus Y has a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface 11c and a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The dust collection container 11 is configured to be detachable from the casing 10 of the cyclone dust collector Y. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a bottom cover 310 is attached to the bottom of the dust collecting container 11 so as to be freely opened and closed. FIG. 3 shows a state where the bottom cover 310 is closed, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the bottom cover 310 is opened. After the user removes the cyclone dust collecting device Y from the vacuum cleaner main body 1, the user opens the bottom cover 310 as shown in FIG. 4 and releases the dust in the dust collecting container 11 to the outside through the opening 311. And discard the dust.

  An annular seal member 161 is provided between the casing 10 of the cyclone dust collector Y and the dust collecting container 11. The seal member 161 prevents air leakage from between the housing 10 and the dust collecting container 11.

  Further, the bottom cover 310 of the dust collecting container 11 is provided with a fitting portion 11 a that fits into a rotating shaft portion 123 b described later attached to the inner cylinder 12. An annular seal member 11b for filling a gap with the rotation shaft portion 123b of the inner cylinder 12 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the fitting portion 11a. The seal member 11b prevents air leakage from between the rotary shaft portion 123b and the bottom cover 310.

  Furthermore, the dust collection container 11 is provided with a connection portion 111 to which the connection hose 4 (see FIG. 1) is connected. The air sucked from the inlet port 2 through the connecting pipe 3 and the connecting hose 4 flows into the dust collecting container 11 from the connecting portion 111.

  In the cyclone dust collecting apparatus Y, the air inlet 111a of the connecting portion 111 to the dust collecting container 11 is provided at the circumferential portion of the substantially cylindrical dust collecting container 11, and the air flowing in from the connecting hose 4 is supplied to the air inlet 111a. It is formed so as to turn in the dust collecting container 11. Specifically, the air inlet 111a is formed so as to face the tangential direction of the dust collecting container 11, so that the air sucked from the air inlet 111a is contained in the dust collecting container 11 in the dust collecting container 11. It turns along the peripheral surface 11c.

  At this time, dust such as cotton dust, which is a relatively large collection target contained in the swirling air, is pressed against the inner peripheral surface 11c of the dust collecting container 11 by centrifugal force due to the swirling, and resistance is generated from the inner peripheral surface 11c. In order to receive, the speed of swirling is lost, and the swirling air is separated (centrifugated) and falls to the bottom of the dust collecting container 11. Dust contained in the air sucked from the air inlet 111 a is centrifuged from the air in the dust collecting container 11, and is received and collected in the dust collecting part 105 at the bottom of the dust collecting container 11. That is, the cyclone dust collector Y functions as a cyclone separator that circulates air containing dust and centrifuges dust from the airflow by swirling. The dust separated from the air accumulates on the dust collection portion 105 of the dust collection container 11.

  On the other hand, the air after the dust is separated flows out of the dust collecting container 11 along the exhaust path 112 indicated by the arrow 112a, and is exhausted (not shown) provided in the cleaner body 1 through the outlet 113. It is discharged from the mouth to the outside. Here, on the exhaust path 112 from the dust collection container 11 to the exhaust port, the inner cylinder 12, the dust receiver 14, and the upper filter unit 13 are arranged in this order. The air in the dust collection container 11 is discharged from the dust collection container 11 via the inner cylinder 12 provided in the dust collection container 11. The air discharged from the dust collecting container 11 is exhausted from the outlet 113 to the outside of the dust collecting container 11 through the inner cylinder filter 122 and the upper filter unit 13.

  At this time, dust, which is a relatively small collection target in the airflow, is collected by the inner cylinder filter 122, the upper filter unit 13, and the like. The relatively fine dust is removed by filters provided in the inner cylinder 12 and the upper filter unit 13. Air containing relatively fine dust that has flowed out of the dust collecting container 11 circulates inside the cyclone dust collecting apparatus Y via the inner cylinder filter 122 and the upper filter unit 13. In the inner cylinder filter 122 and the upper filter unit 13, dust is further separated from the air. The inner cylinder filter 122 and the upper filter unit 13 are examples of filter means.

  The inner cylinder 12 is a cylindrical member arranged inside the dust collecting container 11. The inner cylinder 12 is rotatably supported by the dust receiver 14. Specifically, the inner cylinder 12 is configured such that an annular recess 12 a provided at the upper end of the inner cylinder 12 is supported by an annular support part 14 c provided at the lower end of the dust receiving part 14, thereby It is suspended so that it can rotate around. The vertical center axis P forms the rotation axis of the inner cylinder 12. In addition, the structure which supports the inner cylinder 12 rotatably is not restricted to this. For example, it is conceivable as an example that the upper and lower ends of the inner cylinder 12 are pivotally supported.

  At the upper end of the inner cylinder 12, there are provided a plurality of connecting portions 12 b that engage with engaging portions 134 c provided on an inclined dust removing member 134 described later. The connecting portion 12 b is one end portion of a rib provided on the inner cylinder 12 that protrudes upward from the opening edge at the upper end of the inner cylinder 12. The inner cylinder 12 is connected to the inclined dust removing member 134 so as to be integrally rotatable by the engagement of the connecting portion 12b and the engaging portion 134c. Thereby, the inner cylinder 12 rotates in conjunction with the inclined dust removing member 134. In addition, the connection structure of the inner cylinder 12 and the inclination dust removal member 134 is not restricted to this. For example, the structure connected so that integral rotation is possible by fitting the fitting part provided in each of the inner cylinder 12 and the inclination dust removal member 134 is considered.

  In addition, an inner cylinder exhaust port 121 for exhausting the air after the dust is centrifuged in the dust collecting container 11 toward the upper filter unit 13 is formed in the upper part of the inner cylinder 12. An inner cylinder filter 122 formed in a cylindrical shape covering the entire cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder 12 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner cylinder 12. The inner cylinder filter 122 filters the air flowing through the inner cylinder filter 122. For example, the inner cylinder filter 122 is an air filter formed by superposing one or more metal meshes. The inner cylinder filter 122 may also be a hollow cylinder in which a large number of through holes are formed on the side surface in a fixed pattern with a fixed interval, and is formed by attaching a nonwoven fabric to a cylindrical frame material. It may be.

  A spiral rotary compression unit 123 for compressing the dust in the dust collecting container 11 is provided at the lower part of the inner cylinder 12. The spiral rotary compression unit 123 is provided to be rotatable around the vertical central axis P. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the spiral rotation compression unit 123 includes a spiral portion 123 a having a spiral curved surface, a rotation shaft portion 123 b, and a disk-shaped shielding member 123 c. The rotating shaft portion 123 b is a hollow cylinder that is fitted into a fitting portion 11 a provided at the bottom of the dust collecting container 11.

  The disc-shaped shielding member 123c is provided in the dust collection container 11 so that the upper space portion (separation portion 104) separates the dust by centrifugal force of the swirling flow described later and the lower space portion (dust collection) that accumulates the dust. Part 105). The disk-shaped shielding member 123 c is integrally joined to the lower end of the inner cylinder 12 housed in the dust collection container 11. The disc-shaped shielding member 123c, which is the boundary between the separating unit 104 and the dust collecting unit 105, suppresses the re-scattering of the dust stored in the dust collecting unit 105, and the collected dust is rolled up and the inner cylinder filter 122 is clogged. It prevents that. Moreover, since it is disk-shaped, the dust contained in the cyclone airflow is not caught by the disk-shaped shielding member 123c, and the dust can be efficiently guided to the dust collecting part 105 at the bottom of the dust collecting container 11.

  A spiral portion 123a (an example of a compression member) is provided on the cylindrical surface of the rotation shaft portion 123b. The spiral portion 123a extends spirally toward the bottom surface of the dust collecting portion 105 with the rotation shaft portion 123b as the center, and the upper and lower surfaces thereof have a spiral curved surface with the vertical center axis P as the center, and the upper and lower spiral shapes. It is formed in a curved plate shape sandwiched between curved surfaces. As will be described later, when the inner cylinder 12 is rotated, the spiral portion 123a is used to remove dust accumulated in the dust collecting container 11 and contacting the inner peripheral surface of the dust collecting container 11 and receiving resistance to rotation. It is moved toward the bottom of the dust collecting container 11 by the carrying action. At this time, when the spiral curved surface of the spiral portion 123a is formed so that the screw is retracted by the rotation of the spiral portion 123a when the spiral curved surface is assumed to be a screw, dust is compressed by the spiral curved surface. can do.

The spiral portion 123a starts from the starting end (connecting portion with the disc-shaped shielding member 123c) toward the bottom surface of the dust collecting container 11 around the rotating shaft portion 123b extending substantially vertically downward from the disc-shaped shielding member 123c. The end (lower end) is formed so as to wrap around the rotating shaft portion 123b for one round or more. A desirable number for the amount of winding is 1.6 rotations of the rotating shaft portion 123b. Due to the winding around the rotating shaft portion 123b, the spiral portion 123a is moved downward along the rotational direction of the cyclonic swirling airflow (indicated by arrow A in FIG. 5 ) along the inner peripheral surface of the dust collecting container 11. A spiral turning surface that is inclined toward the surface is formed.

  The spiral curved surface of the spiral portion 123a is preferably formed with the same inclination direction as the swirling air flow indicated by the arrow A shown in FIG. At this time, by rotating the spiral portion 123a in the direction opposite to the turning of the arrow A, when the spiral portion 123a is assumed to be a screw, the spiral portion 123a rotates in a direction in which the screw moves backward. Therefore, the dust in the dust collection container 11 moves to the bottom of the dust collection container 11 by friction with the inner peripheral surface 11 c of the dust collection container 11. However, it is also possible to incline the spiral curved surface of the spiral portion 123a in a direction opposite to the inclination direction of the airflow swirling along the inner peripheral surface of the dust collecting container 11. In this case, the rotation direction of the spiral portion 123a may be the same direction as the swirling direction of the swirling airflow indicated by arrow A in FIG.

  Furthermore, when the inner cylinder 12 rotates, the spiral portion 123a also rotates. At this time, the dust that has moved to the dust collecting portion 105 at the bottom of the dust collecting container 11 is separated from the center of the rotation axis by friction generated between the inner cylinder 12 and the bottom lid 310. It is pushed out and compressed toward the outer peripheral side. In this way, the dust is firmly compressed by the rotation of the spiral portion 123a, so that the amount of dust that can be accumulated in the dust collecting container 11 can be increased. Therefore, for example, the dust container 11 can be downsized. Further, since the hardly compressed dust cannot be easily dissolved, there is no problem of scattering in the air even when it is taken out, and it can be discarded as garbage as it is.

  The outer diameters of the disk-shaped shielding member 123c and the lower spiral portion 123a are substantially the same and smaller than the inner diameter of the separation portion 104. A substantially cylindrical gap (clearance) 106 exists between the outer periphery of the disk-shaped shielding member 123 c and the inner wall of the dust collecting container 11. The gap 106 can smoothly move the dust having a certain volume separated in the separation unit 104 to the dust collection unit 105, and the dust once moved to the dust collection unit 105 is rolled up and the inner cylinder filter 122 is rolled up. It is formed to a suitable value so as not to clog. According to experiments, it was found that the size of the gap 106 is preferably about 13 mm.

  The disc-shaped shielding member 123c has a predetermined thickness in the height direction. The thickness of the disc-shaped shielding member 123c in the height direction affects the centrifugal separation performance in the separation unit 104, and is about 13 mm obtained by experiments in this embodiment.

  A gap (clearance) 108 (see FIG. 2) is interposed between the terminal end (lower end) of the spiral portion 123a of the spiral rotary compression portion 123 and the bottom lid 310. Thereby, the processing amount which extrudes and compresses dust toward the outer side from the rotating shaft center can be increased significantly. The width of the gap 108 is suitable to prevent damage caused by clogging between the terminal end of the spiral portion 123a and the bottom lid 310, or clogging of foreign matters, etc., by being compressed against the bottom of the dust collecting portion 105. Value. In this embodiment, the width of the gap 108 is obtained by an experiment using 10 g of DMT (Deutsche Montan Technologie GmbH) standard waste TYPE 8 based on IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standard as test waste, and the width of the gap 108 is set to about 6 to 13 mm. Yes.

  The air after being filtered by the inner cylinder filter 122 of the inner cylinder 12 is guided to the upper filter unit 13 disposed in the upper part of the cyclone dust collector Y through the inner cylinder 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper filter unit 13 includes a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) 131, a filter dust removing member 132, an inclined dust removing member 134, and the like. The HEPA filter 131 is a type of air filter that further filters the air exhausted from the inner cylinder 12 and flowing on the exhaust path 112.

  The HEPA filter 131 is composed of a set of a plurality of filters arranged and fixed in an annular shape around the vertical central axis P. Each of the plurality of filters included in the HEPA filter 131 is fixed to a skeleton as shown in FIG. 2, for example, and is arranged in a pleat shape in which irregularities are repeated in a substantially horizontal direction. Thereby, the filter area in the HEPA filter 131 is sufficiently secured. An annular seal member 162 is provided between the lower end of the HEPA filter 131 and the housing 10. Thereby, air leakage between the HEPA filter 131 and the housing 10 is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a hollow portion 131a is formed at the center of the HEPA filter 131, and a connecting portion 133 described later is fitted into the hollow portion 131a. The connecting portion 133 is rotatably supported so as to be suspended by the support portion 131b. The support portion 131b is screwed to the upper end portion of the connecting portion 133.

  As described above, in the cyclone dust collector Y, the dust collecting power is enhanced by filtering the air in two stages of the inner cylinder filter 122 and the HEPA filter 131. When dust accumulates on the HEPA filter 131 and clogging occurs, air passage resistance increases, and the load of an electric blower (not shown) increases, which may reduce the dust absorption force. Therefore, the upper filter unit 13 is provided with a filter dust removing member 132 that removes dust adhering to the HEPA filter 131.

  The filter dust removing member 132 is attached to a connecting portion 133 provided in the central hollow portion 131a of the HEPA filter 131. The filter dust removing member 132 is rotatably supported by the support portion 131b together with the connecting portion 133.

  The filter dust removing member 132 has contact portions 132 a (see FIG. 5) that are arranged along the HEPA filter 131 at predetermined intervals so as to contact the upper end portion of the HEPA filter 131. The contact portion 132a is a leaf spring-like elastic member. One or more contact portions 132a may be provided, and the contact portion 132a is not limited to a leaf spring-like elastic member. A gear 132 b is formed on the outer periphery of the filter dust removing member 132.

  An inclined dust removing member 134 is screwed to the lower end portion of the connecting portion 133. The filter dust removing member 132 and the inclined dust removing member 134 are coupled so as to be integrally rotatable with a coupling portion 133 interposed therebetween. An annular seal member 163 that fills the gap is provided between the inclined dust removing member 134 and the HEPA filter 131. Thereby, air leakage between the inclined dust removing member 134 and the HEPA filter 131 is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the dust removal drive mechanism 15 provided in the cyclone dust collector Y has a dust removal drive motor 151 (an example of drive means) provided on the cleaner body 1 side. The dust removal drive motor 151 rotates around the rotation shaft 152. A reduction gear (not shown) is connected to the rotating shaft 152 of the dust removal drive motor 151, and a gear 15a is connected to the reduction gear. The gear 132b of the filter dust removing member 132 is engaged with the gear 15a.

  In the dust removal drive mechanism 15, the rotational force of the dust removal drive motor 151 is transmitted to the gear 15a via the speed reducer. The rotational force of the gear 15 a of the dust removal drive mechanism 15 is transmitted to the gear 132 b of the filter dust removal member 132. As described above, the rotation of the filter dust removing member 132 is transmitted to the inclined dust removing member 134, and the inner cylinder 12 rotating integrally with the inclined dust removing member 134 and the helical rotation compression unit 123 integral with the inner cylinder 12 are vertically centered. Rotate around axis P. When power is supplied to the dust removal drive motor 151 to rotate, a rotational driving force acts on an inner cylinder inner pipe 124 described later included in the inner cylinder 12.

  When the filter dust removing member 132 is rotated, each of the contact portions 132a provided on the filter dust removing member 132 intermittently collides with the pleated HEPA filter 131 to give vibration. Dust adhering to the HEPA filter 131 is knocked down by vibration applied from the filter dust removing member 132.

  The dust receiving unit 14 receives dust falling from the HEPA filter 131 when the contact portion 132a contacts the HEPA filter 131. An opening 14 a that opens toward the lower inner cylinder 12 is formed at the center of the dust receiving portion 14. Moreover, the dust receiving part 14 has the taper surface 14b which is a taper-like slope inclined toward the opening 14a. A wiper 141 (see FIG. 5) is provided so as to face the surface of the tapered surface 14b.

  The wiper 141 is a member for sweeping the surface of the tapered surface 14 b and guiding fine dust that has fallen from the HEPA filter 131 to the dust receiving portion 14 into the dust collecting container 11. The side of the wiper 141 that faces the tapered surface 14b (that is, the side that sweeps the surface of the tapered surface 14b and sweeps out dust that has fallen on the dust receiving portion 14) is formed of, for example, an elastic material or a flexible material. ing.

  The wiper 141 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the filter dust removing member 132. The wiper 141 as a cleaning tool sweeps the surface of the tapered surface 14b while rotating, sweeps out the dust falling from the HEPA filter 131, and removes the dust from the surface of the tapered surface 14b. The dust that has been swept out passes through the inside of the inner cylinder 12 and falls into the inside of the rotary shaft portion 123b of the spiral rotary compression unit 123. As shown in FIG. 4, by opening the bottom cover 310, dust inside the rotating shaft 123b can be discarded.

  The dust removal drive motor 151 functions as a drive unit that drives a filter dust removal member 132 that removes dust attached to the HEPA filter 131, and drives an inclined dust removal member 134 that removes dust from the tapered surface 14 b of the dust receiving portion 14. It functions as a driving means. The timing at which the dust removal drive motor 151 is operated is preferably, for example, before or after the dust collection operation in the vacuum cleaner X is started. Thereby, dust removal of the HEPA filter 131 can be effectively performed in a state where there is no airflow downstream in the HEPA filter 131 due to intake air by the electric blower.

  In this embodiment, the case where the spiral rotation compression unit 123 is rotated by the dust removal drive motor 151 is taken as an example. However, the spiral rotation compression unit 123 is driven by another motor other than the dust removal drive motor 151. Of course, it is possible to rotate it. In the case where it is desired to separately perform dust removal by the upper filter unit 13 and dust compression by rotation of the spiral rotary compression unit 123, it is conceivable to employ such a separate drive.

  A handle 314 is disposed outside the upper surface of the cyclone dust collector Y. With the cyclone dust collector Y detachably attached to the cleaner body 1 attached to the cleaner body 1, the handle 314 is outside the cyclone dust collector Y (that is, outside the cleaner body 1). It can be operated from. The operation member that can be operated from the outside includes a handle 314. The handle 314 is provided on the upper surface of the upper housing 312 having the upper filter unit 13 therein. The handle 314 can rotate around the vertical central axis P independently of the upper housing 312.

  As described above, the hollow portion 131a is formed at the center of the HEPA filter 131, and the connecting portion 133 is inserted into the hollow portion 131a. Bolts are screwed into screw holes formed in the lower end portion of the connecting portion 133, and the inclined dust removing member 134 including the wiper 141 is fixed to the connecting portion 133. Bolts are screwed into screw holes formed in the upper end portion of the connecting portion 133, and the support portion 131 b is fixed to the connecting portion 133. The filter dust removing member 132 and the inclined dust removing member 134 are connected so as to be integrally rotatable with a connecting portion 133 interposed therebetween.

  When an operation of rotating the handle 314 from the outside of the cyclone dust collector Y is performed, the rotation of the handle 314 is transmitted to the support portion 131b. The rotation of the handle 314 is transmitted to the filter dust removing member 132 via the support portion 131b. When the filter dust removing member 132 rotates, the connecting portion 133 and the inclined dust removing member 134 also rotate as a unit. Further, since the engaging part 134c of the inclined dust removing member 134 is engaged with the connecting part 12b of the inner cylinder 12, the inner cylinder 12 is also rotated by the operation of the handle 314. Further, the helical rotation compression unit 123 connected integrally with the inner cylinder 12 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation, thereby rotating the helical unit 123a.

  Next, the inner cylinder 12 will be described in more detail. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the cyclone dust collector as viewed from above. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the cyclone dust collector as viewed from below. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the cyclone dust collector with the cylindrical filter fixed as viewed from below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9, the inner cylinder 12 includes an inner cylinder filter 122 formed in a cylindrical shape and an inner cylinder inner pipe 124 provided inside the inner cylinder filter 122. The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is an example of a rotating unit provided to be rotatable about the vertical center axis P as a rotation center.

  The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is hollow and has a substantially cylindrical shape. An annular flange portion 124a is formed at the lower end portion of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124, and a plurality of through holes 124b are formed in the flange portion 124a. The flange portion 124a is fitted inside the disc-shaped shielding member 123c of the spiral rotary compression portion 123, and a bolt is screwed into a bolt hole 123d formed in the disc-shaped shielding member 123c through the through hole 124b. As a result, the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 and the helical rotary compression portion 123 are fixed together. The upper end of the rib that is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 and reinforces the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 forms a connecting portion 12 b that engages with the engaging portion 134 c of the inclined dust removing member 134.

  The inner cylinder filter 122 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The inner cylinder filter 122 is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side portion of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124. A protruding portion 122 a protruding upward is formed at the upper end portion of the inner cylinder filter 122. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of protrusions 122 a are formed so as to protrude further upward from the ring shape at the upper end of the inner cylindrical filter 122.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a fitting concave portion 14 d is formed on the outer peripheral side of the lower end portion of the dust receiving portion 14. The same number of fitting recesses 14d as the protrusions 122a are formed. As shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 122 a is fitted in the fitting recess 14 d, and the inner cylinder filter 122 is suspended from the peripheral edge of the opening 14 a of the dust receiver 14, and is attached to the dust receiver 14. Fixed as a unit. For example, the inner cylinder filter 122 can be fixed to the dust receiving portion 14 by latching the claw portion formed at the tip of the protrusion 122 a to the dust receiving portion 14. Moreover, the inner cylinder filter 122 may be fixed to the dust receiving part 14 by other arbitrary methods, such as adhesion | attachment and a bolt coupling | bonding.

  An opening 14 a that opens toward the inner cylinder 12 is formed at the center of the dust receiving portion 14, and this opening 14 a functions as an outlet that serves as an outlet for air from the dust collection container 11. The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 as the rotating part is provided so that air flowing from the air inlet 111a toward the opening 14a circulates inside. Air flows into the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 along the exhaust path 112 indicated by the arrow 112a in FIG. Air flows out of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 via the upper end of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 facing the upper filter unit 13.

  The inner cylinder filter 122 filters air flowing into the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 to remove dust contained in the air. Dust having a large specific gravity that has not been centrifuged in the dust collection container 11 moves on the airflow from the dust collection container 11 toward the inner cylinder inner pipe 124, and the inner cylinder provided on the outer peripheral side surface of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124. It is separated from the air by the filter 122 and removed.

  The inner cylinder filter 122 is attached and fixed to the dust receiver 14 that forms the lower surface of the housing 10. On the other hand, the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is provided at the center of the dust collecting container 11 so as to be rotatable around the vertical central axis P. That is, the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is rotatable relative to the inner cylinder filter 122. When the rotational driving force of the dust removal driving motor 151 is transmitted and the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates, or when the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates by the operation of the handle 314, the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 becomes the inner cylinder filter 122. The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 and the inner cylinder filter 122 have different rotational phases.

  The operation of the vacuum cleaner configured as described above will be described below. The power of the vacuum cleaner X is turned on, the electric blower built in the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is activated to start the suction operation, and air containing dust is sucked from the air inlet 2. Air containing dust is introduced from the air inlet 2 through the connecting pipe 3 and the connecting hose 4 to the cyclone dust collecting device Y inside the cleaner body 1. The air sucked by the electric blower is sucked into the separation part 104 of the dust collecting container 11 from the air inlet 111 a of the connection part 111 formed in the circumferential direction of the separation part 104.

  The airflow that has flowed into the separation portion 104 of the dust collecting container 11 swirls at a high speed along the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 11c of the separation portion 104 as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. Centrifugal force acts on relatively large dust in the swirling airflow to be separated from the airflow and pressed against the inner wall of the dust collecting container 11. Thereafter, the airflow turns and enters the dust collecting unit 105. The airflow (main flow) swirling as indicated by an arrow A indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 starts to rise after reaching the bottom surface of the dust collection unit 105.

  In the example of FIG. 5, the rotation direction of the airflow swirling through the gap 107 around the spiral rotation compression unit 123 and the inclination direction of the spiral portion 123a of the spiral rotation compression unit 123 coincide with each other, There is no hindrance. For this reason, there is little pressure loss and efficient centrifugal separation of dust is possible, and a high suction work rate can be obtained. The dust carried by the main stream is trapped (trapped) in the gap 108 between the terminal end (lower end) of the spiral portion 123a and the bottom cover 310 and accumulated, and is accumulated on the spiral curved surface of the spiral portion 123a. It is laminated in order from the lower side along. For this reason, an increase in pressure loss can be further prevented.

  Furthermore, since the rotation direction of the airflow swirling around the gap 107 around the spiral rotation compression unit 123 and the inclination direction of the spiral portion 123a of the spiral rotation compression unit 123 coincide, Is also slightly compressed. Thereby, the volume of accumulated and stacked dust is reduced, and more efficient dust collection can be achieved.

  Next, the accumulation of dust by the air flow and the action of stacking will be described. As described above, the sucked dust is separated at the separation unit 104 and guided to the dust collection unit 105 through the gap 106 (see FIG. 2). In the dust collection unit 105, dust passes through the gap 107 (see FIG. 5) and is accumulated by being damped (trapped) in the gap 108. Every time the spiral rotary compressor 123 is rotated, the dust is stacked on the already accumulated dust. Therefore, in this cyclone dust collector Y, the stack grows without being biased along the spiral portion 123a. As a result, dust is not accumulated unevenly in the dust collection unit 105, and the dust collection capacity is dramatically improved as compared with a conventional dust collection unit having the same volume.

  Moreover, the spiral part 123a can be made into the spiral shape with the directionality which inclines below along the rotation direction of a cyclone swirl | vortex airflow. In this case, the compression effect by the cyclone airflow is also obtained. Thereby, the dust collecting capacity is further improved.

  Next, the effect | action of the rotational compression of the dust by the helical rotational compression part 123 is demonstrated concretely. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for explaining a situation in which dust is compressed and stacked by rotation of the helical rotary compression unit. For example, the helical rotation compression unit 123 can be automatically rotated after the driving of the blower driving motor is stopped (that is, after the suction of dust is completed).

  When driving of the blower drive motor is stopped, the airflow stops turning. After the driving stop of the blower drive motor is confirmed, when the dust removal drive mechanism 15 is driven and the dust removal drive motor 151 rotates, as described above, the inner cylinder 12, the disk-shaped shielding member 123c, the spiral rotation compression portion 123, the rotation shaft The part 123b is united and rotates about the vertical central axis P in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG. 6 (counterclockwise direction when viewed from above). In this way, the rotation of the dust removal drive motor 151 is transmitted to the rotation shaft portion 123b via the first rotation shaft 152 and the second rotation shaft 153 shown in FIG.

  When the helical rotation compression unit 123 rotates in this way, thrust is generated in the rotation axis direction (vertical downward direction indicated by arrow E in FIG. 10) due to the principle of screws. Due to this thrust, the dust 200 (see FIG. 10) accumulated in the dust collection unit 105 is pushed out in the direction of the rotation axis and is compressed in the direction of the rotation axis by being pressed against the bottom cover 310 of the dust collection container 11.

  The rotation of the spiral portion 123a of the spiral rotation compression portion 123 causes the dust 200 accumulated between the dust collection container 11 and the bottom lid 310 to rotate, and compresses the dust 200 in the dust collection portion 105. Once the dust 200 is compressed, the compressed state is maintained after the rotation of the spiral rotary compression unit 123 is stopped, and even after the dust collecting container 11 is released and the compression force is released. Accordingly, the dust 200 is held at the lower part of the dust collecting container 11, and even when newly sucked dust 201 is stacked from above, the new rotational dust is further compressed by the rotation of the spiral rotary compression unit 123. And efficient continuous compression can be performed.

  In addition, since the helical rotation compression unit 123 rotates and performs a compression operation, the rotation of the helical rotation compression unit 123 generates an outward force from the shaft rotation center to the dust. For this reason, the dust tends not to adhere to the cylindrical rotating shaft portion 123b so much that the maintainability is remarkably improved. Furthermore, even when dust adheres to the helical rotation compression unit 123, the rotation of the helical rotation compression unit 123 causes the dust to be peeled off when compressed downward. Thus, the maintainability of the helical rotary compression unit 123 is very high.

  As described above, since the compressed dust is consolidated into a donut shape and integrated, it is possible to prevent dust scattering and spilling at the time of throwing away dust, and efficient waste disposal can be performed.

  The helical rotation compression unit 123 is rotated by a driving means such as a dust removal drive motor 151, so that the rotation of the helical rotation compression unit 123 is performed while the blower drive motor for driving the blower fan for sucking air is being driven (that is, during suction). The compression unit 123 can be automatically rotated. By this operation, dust can be collected and collected and simultaneously compressed. Thereby, dust can be more efficiently compressed, and the above effect is further enhanced. Moreover, even if a large amount of dust is sucked at a time, the compression is possible, so that cleaning can be performed continuously for a long time.

  Further, by intermittently rotating the helical rotation compression unit 123 during driving (suction) of the blower drive motor, it is possible to perform compression simultaneously with dust collection, and to make the helical rotation compression unit 123 long. Since it does not continue to drive over time, an increase in power consumption can be prevented and the product life associated with the life of the drive mechanism can be increased. Furthermore, the noise when the compressor drive mechanism is driven can be reduced, and a cyclone dust collector that is quieter and easier to use can be obtained.

  Furthermore, the handle 314 can be rotated when the cyclone dust collecting device Y is removed from the cleaner body 1 and the bottom cover 310 is opened to dispose of dust through the opening 311. By rotating the handle 314, a rotational force can be applied to the filter dust removing member 132 via the support portion 131b. That is, the filter dust removing member 132 applies vibration to the HEPA filter 131 to drop the dust accumulated on the HEPA filter 131, and the wiper 141 wipes the surface of the tapered surface 14b to remove the dust from the surface of the tapered surface 14b. The dust can be discarded to the outside through the inner cylinder exhaust port 121, the inner cylinder 12 and the rotary shaft 123b.

  At the same time, the rotation of the handle 314 causes a rotational force to act on the spiral rotary compression portion 123 via the connecting portion 133, the inclined dust removing member 134, and the inner cylinder 12 screwed to the support portion 131b. 123a can be rotated. As a result, the dust compressed by the spiral portion 123a is slowly carried toward the tip of the spiral portion 123a by the carrying action of the screw of the spiral portion 123a, and the bottom of the dust collecting container 11 opened by opening the bottom lid 310. It is discharged to the outside from the opening 311. As described above, the operator slowly rotates the handle 314 so that the dust is slowly pushed out, so that the fine dust contained in the dust does not rise or scatter, and the room is polluted by the dust. There is nothing.

  Long dust such as hair and lint extending from the dust accumulated around the spiral rotary compression unit 123 may wrap around the inner cylinder filter 122. If long dust is entangled with the inner cylinder filter 122 when the garbage is thrown away, the long dust entangled with the inner cylinder filter 122 cannot be easily separated simply by opening the bottom cover 310. In the cyclone dust collecting apparatus Y of the present embodiment, the inner cylinder filter 122 is fixed, and the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is rotated by operating the handle 314 or driving the dust removal drive motor 151. It can be rotated relative to the cylindrical filter 122.

  In this way, long dust rotates and moves as the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates. When the dust rotates relative to the inner cylinder filter 122, the entanglement of the dust with the inner cylinder filter 122 is released, so that the long dust entangled with the fixed inner cylinder filter 122 can be easily separated. Can be done. The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 that rotates relative to the inner cylinder filter 122 has a function of separating and discarding long dust entangled with the inner cylinder filter 122 from the inner cylinder filter 122.

  By providing the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 with a function of cleaning the inner cylinder filter 122, the inner cylinder filter 122 is cleaned simultaneously with the rotation of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124. By cleaning the HEPA filter 131, compressing dust in the dust collecting unit 105 by the spiral 123a, or discarding dust from the dust collecting container 11, driving the dust removal drive motor 151 or operating the handle 314, The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a special operation for cleaning the inner cylinder filter 122, and the inner cylinder filter 122 for filtering air can be easily and periodically cleaned, which can bother the user. Absent. Similarly to the above, when the dust is entangled with the spiral portion 123a, the entanglement can be released by rotating the spiral portion 123a, so that the dust can be discarded smoothly.

  The inner cylinder inner pipe 124 can be attached with a cleaning means for cleaning and dropping dust adhering to the inner cylinder filter 122 when the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates. As an example of the cleaning means, for example, a beater that removes dust by contacting the inner cylinder filter 122 and vibrating the inner cylinder filter 122 when the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 rotates can be provided. Further, for example, a wiping member such as a brush body or a wiper is provided, and the surface of the inner cylinder filter 122 can be wiped and removed when the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is rotated. In order to prevent the inner cylinder filter 122 from being deformed or damaged by applying an excessive impact to the inner cylinder filter 122 when such a cleaning means comes into contact with the inner cylinder filter 122, the cleaning means is an elastic body or a flexible body. It is desirable to form with the member which has property.

  In the description so far, the cyclone dust collecting device Y that collects dust by swirling air along the inner peripheral surface of the collecting container has been described as an example. However, the dust collecting device included in the electric vacuum cleaner X of the present invention is described. The device is not limited to the cyclone system. For example, a dust collector having a rotatable filter through which air containing dust passes and a wiper that sweeps the surface of the filter may be applied to the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which a rotatable inner cylinder inner pipe 124 is provided at the center of the dust collecting container 11 as an example of a rotating part, and the inner cylinder filter 122 covers the outer cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124. As described above, the rotating unit is not limited to this configuration. For example, when an opening through which dust falls from the dust receiving portion 14 is formed along the inner peripheral surface 11c of the dust collecting container 11, the rotating portion through which air flowing toward the opening circulates with respect to the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 11c. The filter may be arranged so as to have a small-diameter annular shape and cover the inner peripheral surface of the rotating portion.

  Further, the example in which the inner cylinder filter 122 is fixed has been described. However, the inner cylinder filter 122 is not limited to this configuration. If the inner cylinder filter 122 and the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 are formed to have different rotational phases, the inner cylinder filter 122 is not limited thereto. The effect of pulling away long dust from 122 can be obtained. For example, an inner cylinder filter that can rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the inner cylinder inner pipe 124 may be provided.

  Further, the filter may be any filter as long as it can separate the dust from the air by filtering the air flowing into the rotating part without interfering with the rotational movement of the rotating part, and can rotate relative to the rotating part. The shape may not be cylindrical. For example, the rotating part and the filter can be symmetric with respect to the rotation center of the rotating part. The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the rotation center of the rotating part may be a circle, and the cross-sectional shape of the filter may be a circle having a diameter slightly smaller or larger than the diameter of the circle of the cross-sectional shape of the rotating part. Specifically, for example, the rotating part and the filter can be formed in a partial spherical shape, a partial elliptical shape, a parabolic shape, a conical surface shape, or the like.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described as above, the embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is an external view of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the internal structure of the cyclone dust collector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the cyclone dust collector of the state where the bottom cover was closed. It is a perspective view of a cyclone dust collector with a bottom lid opened. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the internal structure of a cyclone dust collector centering on a helical rotation compression part. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the rotational force transmission path | route to the helical rotation compression part of a cyclone dust collector. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the cyclone dust collector from upper direction. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the cyclone dust collector from the downward direction. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the cyclone dust collector of the state where the cylindrical filter was fixed from the lower part. It is sectional drawing of a cyclone dust collector explaining the condition where dust is compressed and laminated | stacked by rotation of a helical rotation compression part.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main-body part, 10 housing | casing, 11 dust collecting container, 11c inner peripheral surface, 12 inner cylinder, 12a recessed part, 12b connection part, 13 upper filter unit, 14 dust receiving part, 14a opening, 14b taper surface, 14c Part, 14d fitting recessed part, 15 dust removal drive mechanism, 15a gear, 104 separating part, 105 dust collecting part, 121 inner cylinder exhaust port, 122 inner cylinder filter, 122a projection part, 123 spiral rotation compression part, 123a spiral part, 123b Rotating shaft part, 123c Disk-shaped shielding member, 123d Bolt hole, 124 Inner pipe, 124a Flange part, 124b Through hole, 131 HEPA filter, 131a Hollow part, 131b Support part, 132 Filter dust removing member, 132a Contact part, 132b gear, 133 connecting portion, 134c engaging portion, 134 inclined dust removing member, 41 wiper, 151 dust removing motor, 310 bottom cover, 312 upper housing, 314 handle, P vertical central axis, X vacuum cleaner, Y cyclone dust collecting apparatus.

Claims (5)

A dust collector for separating dust from air containing dust,
A dust collecting container having an inflow port through which air flows in and an outflow port serving as an air outlet, in which dust separated from air accumulates;
A rotating part that is disposed inside the dust collecting container and is provided so that air from the inflow port toward the outflow port flows, and is rotatable around an axis, and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, A rotating part in which air flows into the inside of the rotating part via the side part of the rotating part, and air flows out to the outside of the rotating part via an end part of the rotating part;
A filter that filters air flowing into the rotating part, is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is arranged so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the side part of the rotating part; and
An operation member that rotates the rotating portion relative to the filter by a rotation operation around the axis from the outside of the dust collector;
Another filter that further filters the air after being filtered by the filter;
A dust collector , comprising: a dust removing member that rotates integrally with the rotating unit when the rotating unit rotates and removes dust adhering to the other filter .   The dust collector according to claim 1, wherein the operation member includes a handle. Further comprising a motor for applying a rotational driving force to the rotating portion receiving power, dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2. The dust collection container, a separating unit for separating the dust from the air, separates into a dust collection unit for accumulating the dust, further comprising a shielding member, the dust collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . A vacuum cleaner provided with the dust collector in any one of Claims 1-4 .

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