JPH04212321A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Purpose of the invention]

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a disinfection mechanism that uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms such as mites contained in dust.

0003

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in the case of a vacuum cleaner capable of killing harmful microorganisms such as dust mites, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-1
As described in Publication No. 27026, a structure is adopted in which a hose forms an exhaust circulation air path from the exhaust side of the electric blower to the dust collection chamber, and the heated exhaust air is repeatedly returned to the dust collection chamber. Disinfection is carried out by raising the temperature inside this dust collection chamber.

[0004] Also, conventional vacuum cleaners are known in which an exhaust circulation air passage is formed within the vacuum cleaner body. In this conventional vacuum cleaner, the main body of the vacuum cleaner consists of a main body case and a lid body that has a connection port for the hose and opens and closes the dust collection chamber, but the exhaust circulation air passage is connected to the vicinity of the connection port. During normal cleaning, the exhaust circulation air path is blocked by a hose connected to the connection port, and during disinfection, the hose is removed to communicate the exhaust circulation air path and the dust collection chamber, and it is attached and detached separately from the connection port. A structure is adopted in which a flexible closure body is attached to close the connection port.

[0005] In any case, in this type of vacuum cleaner,
The purpose is to ensure the temperature and duration that can kill harmful microorganisms such as dust mites, and to prevent the temperature of the electric blower or vacuum cleaner from rising excessively. A temperature-sensitive element such as a temperature switch is installed to stop the electric blower at a certain point. Conventional vacuum cleaners have a structure in which a temperature sensing element is disposed below the electric blower or near the connection port.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, in order to sufficiently and reliably kill harmful microorganisms such as dust mites, it is better to keep the temperature inside the dust collection room as high as possible for as long as possible, but overheating may cause the electric blower to burn out or be cleaned. To prevent deformation of the machine body,
It is better to keep the temperature and circulation time of the exhaust air as low as possible. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the detection sensitivity by detecting temperature using a temperature sensing element at a particularly high temperature position within the cleaner body. However, with the conventional structure, temperature detection cannot be performed with high sensitivity, and there is a risk that the temperature of a part of the vacuum cleaner body may rise excessively. In other words, in a structure in which the temperature sensing element is placed below the electric blower, which is the heat source, sensitive temperature detection cannot be performed because heat is easily transmitted upward due to convection. In the structure in which the element was installed, sensitive temperature detection could not be performed because the exhaust air radiated heat from the electric blower to the connection port.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems and is capable of sensitive temperature detection during circulation of exhaust air, thereby preventing burnout of the electric blower or deformation of the vacuum cleaner body due to heat. The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that can reliably prevent such problems.

[0008]

[Structure of the invention]

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes:
The vacuum cleaner body includes a dust collection chamber having a suction port, an electric blower whose suction side communicates with the dust collection chamber, and exhaust air from the electric blower that circulates to the dust collection chamber. and a temperature sensing element that detects the temperature of the circulating exhaust air and controls the electric blower, the temperature sensing element being disposed above the electric blower. .

0010

[Function] In the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, when killing harmful microorganisms such as mites in the dust accumulated in the dust collection chamber, the exhaust circulation air passage inside the vacuum cleaner body is used to connect the exhaust side of the electric blower and the dust collection chamber. and communicate with each other. When the electric blower is driven in this state, the heated exhaust air from the electric blower is returned to the dust collection chamber via the exhaust circulation air path, and the temperature inside the dust collection chamber increases. Mites in the dust room are killed. At this time, a temperature sensing element located above the electric blower detects the temperature of the circulating exhaust air and controls the electric blower, for example, stopping the electric blower when the temperature reaches a predetermined value.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The structure of an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a vacuum cleaner main body, and a main body case 13 has an opening 12 formed at the upper front side.
and a dust collection chamber cover 14 whose rear end is pivoted to the main body case 13 and which closes the opening 12 in an openable and closable manner. Further, the main body case 13 includes a lower main body case member 15 and an upper main body case member 16 that is coupled and fixed to the upper rear portion of the lower main body case member 15. The inside of the main body case 13 is partitioned into the front and back by a partition wall 18 formed approximately in the center thereof and having a grid-like communication port 17, and a space behind the partition wall 18 is an electric blower chamber 19. At the same time, the space in the front serves as a dust collection chamber 20 facing the opening 12.

[0013] Inside the electric blower chamber 19, there is a front support member 24 made of rubber that is sandwiched from above and below by support walls 21, 22, and 23 that are integrally formed on both the main body case members 15 and 16. An electric blower 26 is supported and fixed by the rear support 25 with its intake side facing the communication port 17 . Note that the ring-shaped front support 24 airtightly partitions the electric blower 26 into an intake side and an exhaust side. Further, an inner exhaust port 27 that communicates with the exhaust side of the electric blower 26 is formed on the rear surface of the main body case 13.
An exhaust cover body 28 is pivotally mounted to cover the exhaust cover 7 so as to be openable and closable, and an outer exhaust port 29 is formed in this exhaust cover body 28. An exhaust filter 30 is disposed between these exhaust ports 27 and 29.

Furthermore, a cord reel 32 (shown in FIG. 3) for winding up a power cord 31 for supplying power to the electric blower 26 is attached to the rear part of the main body case 13. A plug 33 is connected to the tip. Further, an accessory storage section 34 is formed on the rear upper surface of the main body case 13, and a storage chamber cover body 35 that covers the accessory storage chamber 34 in an openable and closable manner is pivotally mounted.

A dust filter 41 is installed in the dust collection chamber 20 to cover the communication port 17, and a support frame 42 is pivotally mounted on the upper front side. Reference numeral 43 denotes a dust collection bag detachably installed in the dust collection chamber 20, and the dust collection bag 43 consists of a bag-like filter medium 44 and a mouth frame 45, and this mouth frame 45 is attached to the support frame. 42 in a detachable manner. Furthermore, an opening 1 facing the dust collection chamber 20
A seal packing 46 is provided around the entire circumference of the lid body 14 on the peripheral edge of the lid 14 so that the lower surface peripheral edge of the lid body 14 can be brought into close contact with the lower surface of the lid body 14. The rear part of this seal packing 46 is held between the partition walls 18 of both the main body case members 15 and 16. Furthermore, a locking protrusion 47 is formed on the upper front surface of the main body case 13.

The lid 14 includes a case-shaped outer lid member 51 with an open bottom surface, and a plate-shaped inner lid member 53 that is coupled and fixed to the lower side of the outer lid member 51 with screws 52 or the like. A seal packing 54 is provided at the joint between these lid members 51 and 53. A connection port 55, which serves as a cylindrical suction port into which one end of a hose (not shown) is removably inserted, is provided at the front of the outer lid member 51 downwardly and slanted. It is formed. On the other hand, a suction opening 56 is formed in the inner lid member 53 so as to face the connection port 55 . A connection port packing 57 is provided from the lower end peripheral edge of the connection port 55 to the peripheral edge of the suction opening 56. Further, on one side of the connection port 55, there is a recess 58 that opens outward.
A pair of through holes 59 are formed at the bottom of the recess 58 . A pair of contact pins 61 (shown in FIG. 3) provided at one end of the hose are in contact with the space between both lid members 51 and 53 facing these through holes 59 so as to be able to freely come and go. A contact plate 60 is provided.

Furthermore, a clamp 63 biased by a spring 62 is pivotally attached to the front surface of the lid 14.
This clamp 63 is connected to the locking protrusion 47 of the main body case 13.
The lid body 14 is held in a closed state by being removably engaged with.

The space between the lid members 51 and 53 is a lid side exhaust circulation air passage 66, and a cylindrical part is provided on the side of the connection port 55 facing this exhaust circulation air passage 66. A flow port 67 is formed. An opening/closing plate 68 serving as an air passage opening/closing means for opening and closing this circulation opening 67 is slidable up and down along the opening end of the circulation opening 67 on the inner lid member 5.
The opening/closing plate 68 is supported by support ribs 69 formed in the opening/closing plate 68, and a communication opening 68a, which overlaps with the communication opening 67, is formed in the lower part of the opening/closing plate 68. The upper end of the opening/closing plate 68 serves as a knob 70 for the outer lid member 5.
A seal packing 71 is provided at a portion of the outer lid member 51 through which the opening/closing plate 68 passes. Further, an inlet 72 facing the exhaust circulation air passage 66 is formed in the rear surface of the lid body 14 facing the partition wall 18 on the front surface of the upper main body case member 16. The upper body case member 16 is attached to the peripheral edge when the lid body 14 is closed.
A seal packing 73 is provided which is brought into close contact with the partition wall 18 so as to be able to freely come and go.

On the other hand, on the upper front side of the upper body case member 16, a body-side exhaust circulation air passage 74 is formed which communicates with a space on the exhaust side of the electric blower 26 in the electric blower chamber 19. However, the front end of this exhaust circulation air passage 74 opens in the partition wall 18 of the upper main body case member 16 to form an outflow port 75, and when the lid body 14 is closed, the lid body 14 The inlet 72 is overlapped, and the seal packing 73 of the inlet 72 is brought into close contact with the periphery of the outlet 75. Note that this seal packing 73 may be provided on the outlet 75 side of the main body case 13.

Furthermore, the exhaust circulation air passage 66 of the lid body 14
A thermostat 77, such as a bimetallic switch, which has a reset button 76 and is normally closed and opens when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature and returns to the closed state by operating the reset button 76, is disposed inside the thermostat 77. is exposed on the upper surface of the lid 14. Also,
Main body side exhaust circulation air passage 7 in the upper part of the electric blower chamber 19 of the main body case 13, that is, in the upper part of the electric blower 26.
A positive direction thermistor 78 as a temperature sensing element is disposed within 4.

Next, the configuration of the control circuit 81 that variably controls the input of the electric blower 26 will be explained with reference to FIG.

A triac 85 connected to a snubber circuit as a protection circuit consisting of a fuse 82, a resistor 83, and a capacitor 84, the electric blower 26, and a thermostat 77 are connected in series to both poles of the power cord 31, which is connected to a commercial AC power source. This electric blower 26 has a noise prevention circuit 86 made of a capacitor.

The power cord 31 is connected to the primary winding of a step-down transformer 87, and the secondary winding of this transformer 87 is connected to a rectifier circuit 88 consisting of a diode bridge. A constant voltage circuit including a resistor 89 and a Zener diode 90 is connected to the side. A resistor 91 and a resistor 92 are connected in series in parallel with this Zener diode 90.
The second connection point has a programmable unijunction.
A gate of a transistor (PUT) 93 is connected, and a cathode of this PUT 93 is connected to one end of a primary winding of a transformer 94. The anode of the PUT 93 and the transformer 9
A charging capacitor 95 is connected between the other ends of the primary windings 4 and 4. Further, a resistor 96 and a diode 97 are connected to the secondary winding of this transformer 94, and connected to the gate of the triac 85.

[0024] A connection point between the resistors 89 and 91;
A resistor 98 connected to the PUT 93 is connected to a pair of switches 99a of a changeover switch 99, respectively.
A pair of first switching contacts 99b of this switch 99 are connected to the pair of contact plates 60, respectively. Further, the positive direction thermistor 78 is connected between a pair of second switching contacts 99c of the switch 99. Further, a variable resistor 100 is connected between the pair of contact pins 61 of the hose, and is provided in a grip portion of the hose so as to be externally operable.

The switch 99 may be operated by the user, or may be operated in conjunction with the opening/closing plate 68, for example. That is, the switch 99a may be brought into contact with the first switching contact 99b when the exhaust gas circulation air passage 66 is closed, and the switch 99a may be brought into contact with the second switching contact 99c when the exhaust air circulation air passage 66 is opened.

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

During normal cleaning, one end of the hose is connected to the connection port 55, and the suction port body is connected to the grip at the other end of the hose via an extension pipe or the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the opening/closing plate 68 is lowered to close the exhaust circulation air passage 66, and the dust collection chamber 20 and the exhaust side of the electric blower 26 are cut off. At the same time, the switch 99 is kept in a state where the switching element 99a is in contact with the first switching contact 99b. Then, by driving the electric blower 26, the dust sucked in with the airflow from the suction port body is guided to the dust collection chamber 20 via the extension pipe and hose, and is stored in the dust collection bag 43. On the other hand, the airflow that has passed through the dust collection bag 43 passes through the dust collection filter 41, the communication port 17, the electric blower chamber 19, the inner exhaust port 27, the exhaust filter 30, and is discharged to the outer exhaust port 29.

Furthermore, the user can adjust the input to the electric blower 26 by operating the variable resistor 100 on the grip portion of the hose, thereby adjusting the suction force. This electric blower 26
is controlled by the control circuit 81, where:
The operation of this control circuit 81 will be explained.

If the resistance value of the variable resistor 100 is increased, the charging time of the capacitor 95 becomes longer.
When the anode potential exceeds the gate voltage set by 1 and resistor 92, the turn-on time of PUT 93, which is turned on, is delayed, the phase control angle of the trigger of triac 85 becomes larger, and the power supplied to electric blower 26 is increased. decreases, and the input to the electric blower 26 decreases. Conversely, when the resistance value of the variable resistor 100 becomes smaller, the capacitor 95
Since the charging time becomes shorter, the trigger phase control angle of the triac 85 becomes smaller and the input to the electric blower 26 increases.

Furthermore, when disinfecting by killing harmful microorganisms such as mites in the dust collected in the dust collection chamber 20, the hose is removed from the connection port 55. Along with this, the knob 7
0 and lifts the opening/closing plate 68 to open the exhaust circulation air passage 66, so that the exhaust side of the electric blower 26 and the dust collection chamber 20 are communicated via the exhaust circulation air passages 74 and 66. Further, in the switch 99, the switching element 99a is the second switching contact 99.
Keep it in contact with c.

Then, the electric blower 26 is driven, and a portion of the heated exhaust air from the electric blower 26 flows through the exhaust circulation air passages 74 and 66, the opening/closing plate 68, the circulation port 67, and the connection port 55. The air is returned to the dust collection chamber 20 from the electric blower 26 to the exhaust circulation air passages 74, 66 and the dust collection chamber 20.
A circulating air flow is generated which reaches the electric blower 26 again through the air. In this way, as the circulating airflow is repeatedly heated by the electric blower 26, the temperature within the dust collection chamber 20 rises and reaches 50° C. or higher, which is sufficient to kill harmful microorganisms such as mites. When the circulating exhaust air reaches a certain temperature of about 55 to 60°C, the thermostat 77 opens and the electric blower 26 automatically stops. Since mites die in 2 to 3 minutes at a temperature of 50° C. or higher, if the thermostat 77 is opened at the above-mentioned temperature, mites can be sufficiently killed.

By the way, when the circulating airflow is generated as described above, a certain amount of outside air also flows into the dust collection chamber 20 through the connection port 55. temperature is rising. Rather, it is better to let some outside air flow in and raise the temperature slowly, so that the thermostat 77 does not operate too quickly and is more effective in killing mites.

Further, when circulating airflow is occurring, the positive direction thermistor 78 changes its resistance value depending on the temperature of the circulating exhaust air. Therefore, the positive direction thermistor 78 outputs an electrical signal according to the temperature to the control circuit 81, and the input to the electric blower 26 is controlled accordingly. That is, the higher the temperature of the exhaust air, the higher the resistance value of the positive direction thermistor 78, and the higher the temperature of the electric blower 2.
The input to the electric blower 26 decreases, and conversely, the lower the temperature, the higher the input to the electric blower 26. Therefore, regardless of the outside temperature, the temperature of the circulating exhaust air reaches a certain level at an almost constant pace, and the temperature rise becomes more gradual as the temperature rises, keeping the temperature constant. It is also possible to keep it.

[0034] By providing the positive direction thermistor 78 in this way, it is possible to prevent an excessive rise in temperature, so the thermostat 77 is not necessarily required. That is, if the temperature rises excessively, the resistance value of the positive direction thermistor 78 becomes very large, and the charging time of the capacitor 95 becomes very long, until the anode voltage is always lower than the gate voltage of the PUT 93. As a result, the PUT 93 is always turned off, and the electric blower 26 is stopped.

At this time, the positive direction thermistor 78 is placed in the upper part of the electric blower 26 which is the heat source, that is, in the vacuum cleaner main body 11.
Because it is located at a particularly high temperature inside the exhaust air, when circulating the exhaust air,
Sensitive temperature detection can be performed. As a result, burnout of the electric blower 26 and deformation of the cleaner body 11 due to heat can be reliably prevented, and safety is improved.

Further, according to the above structure, the cleaning state and the disinfecting state can be switched by simply operating the opening/closing plate 68 supported by the lid 14. That is,
Since there are no detachable parts for switching, it is easy to use and there is no risk of losing the parts.

Furthermore, it is more advantageous in terms of airtightness to have a structure in which the flow port 67 is closed with a separate opening/closing member 68 rather than with a hose.

In the above embodiment, the connection port 55 is provided with a communication port 67 which is a part of the exhaust circulation air passage 66 and is opened and closed by the opening/closing plate 68. It is also conceivable to provide it at a position other than the connection port 55 of 53. However, it is better to install it near this connection port 55.
This is preferable because the exhaust air spreads throughout the dust collection chamber 20.

[0039]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, temperature is detected in a vacuum cleaner that returns exhaust air from an electric blower to a dust collection chamber to kill harmful microorganisms such as mites in the dust inside the dust collection chamber. The temperature-sensing element that controls the electric blower is placed above the electric blower, in other words, in a position within the vacuum cleaner body that gets particularly hot, making it possible to sensitively detect temperature when the exhaust air is circulating. As a result, for example, by stopping the electric blower when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value, it is possible to reliably prevent burnout of the electric blower and deformation of the vacuum cleaner body due to heat, thereby improving safety.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the connection port.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the same as above.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Vacuum cleaner body 20 Dust collection room 26 Electric blower 55 Connection port as suction port 66 Exhaust circulation air duct 74 Exhaust circulation air duct

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum cleaner body includes a dust collection chamber having a suction port, an electric blower whose suction side communicates with the dust collection chamber, and an exhaust air from the electric blower that circulates to the dust collection chamber. The lever includes an exhaust circulation air passage that heats the dust collection chamber, and a temperature sensing element that detects the temperature of the circulating exhaust air and controls the electric blower, and the temperature sensing element is disposed above the electric blower. A vacuum cleaner characterized by: