JP2023070341A - vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve visibility of dust on a surface to be cleaned.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner 1 includes an electric blower 21 for generating sucking force, a dust collection part 22 for accumulating dust 80 sucked by the electric blower 21, irradiation parts (LED 71, 72) for irradiating a surface to be cleaned (floor surface M), and a control part (driving circuit 51) for controlling the flashing of the irradiation parts (LED 71, 72) in a prescribed frequency. Preferably, the prescribed frequency is 10 Hz or higher and 30 Hz or lower.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are technologies described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, for example, as techniques relating to illumination of vacuum cleaners.

Patent Document 1 discloses a suction port that opens facing a surface to be cleaned, left irradiation means and right irradiation means for irradiating the surface to be cleaned, and an air intake path that communicates with an electric vacuum cleaner to attract dust. and a lighting control means for controlling the irradiation by the left irradiation means and the right irradiation means according to the detection result of the dust detection means. In the electric vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the optical axes of the left irradiating means and the right irradiating means are arranged so as to be tilted toward the front center from the side portion of the suction tool. The vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 can widely illuminate the surface to be cleaned in the vicinity of the front of the suction tool, and the dust detection means can control the illumination according to the distribution of dust, so the visibility of the dust is taken into consideration. The user can be informed of the dust detection status by changing the irradiation amount.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a nozzle for cleaning a part to be cleaned, a nozzle connection part to which the nozzle is detachably connected, a light source provided in the nozzle connection part for irradiating the part to be cleaned, and a nozzle. A vacuum cleaner (cleaning device) is described which includes lighting pattern control means for lighting a light source in a predetermined lighting pattern corresponding to the lighting pattern.

JP 2013-226176 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-80898

As described below, the prior arts disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are desired to further improve the visibility of dust on the surface to be cleaned.

For example, the electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 changes the irradiation amount according to the dust distribution state detected by the dust detection means, and informs the user of the dust detection state. It would be desirable to further improve the visibility of dust on top.

Further, for example, a vacuum cleaner (cleaning device) described in Patent Literature 2 lights a light source in a predetermined lighting pattern according to a detachably connected nozzle. The electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Literature 2 has no concept of improving the visibility of dust on the surface to be cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its main object is to provide an electric vacuum cleaner in which the visibility of dust on the surface to be cleaned is further improved.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric vacuum cleaner comprising an electric blower that generates a suction force, a dust collector that stores dust sucked by the electric blower, and a surface to be cleaned with light. The configuration includes an irradiation unit and a control unit that controls blinking of the irradiation unit at a predetermined frequency.
Other means will be described later.

According to the present invention, it is possible to further improve the visibility of dust on the surface to be cleaned.

1 is an external perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a suction body of the electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the mouthpiece of the electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 with the upper part of the suction case of the suction body removed. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of a circuit board and an LED board of the electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of current flowing through the irradiation unit of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an irradiation state of a floor surface by the irradiation unit of the electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1; 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of a circuit board and LEDs of a vacuum cleaner according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of current flowing through the irradiation unit of the vacuum cleaner according to the modified example of Embodiment 1. FIG. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a mouthpiece of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 2; 8 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 2, with the upper part of the suction case of the suction body removed; FIG. FIG. 7 is a circuit configuration diagram of a circuit board and an LED board of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 2; FIG. 10 is a waveform diagram of current flowing through the irradiation unit of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 2; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a mouthpiece of a vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 3; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state of irradiation of a floor surface by the irradiation unit of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 3; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner main body and an extension pipe of a vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 4;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "present embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, each figure is only shown roughly to such an extent that the present invention can be fully understood. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples only. Moreover, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about a common component and a similar component, and those overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
<Configuration of electric vacuum cleaner>
The configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the suction body 6 of the vacuum cleaner 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the suction body 6 of the vacuum cleaner 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 1 with the upper portion of the suction case 10 of the suction body 6 removed. Embodiment 1 will be described assuming that the vacuum cleaner 1 is a so-called cyclone vacuum cleaner. However, the vacuum cleaner 1 may be a so-called paper pack type vacuum cleaner. Further, the description will be made assuming that the surface to be cleaned is the floor surface M (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment includes a cleaner main body 2 provided with an operation switch SW and the like, a suction body 6 (suction tool) for sucking dust, and a cleaner main body 2. and an extension pipe 5 connecting the mouthpiece body 6.

The cleaner main body 2 includes an electric blower 21 that generates a suction force, a dust collector 22 that stores dust collected by the suction force of the electric blower 21, a connection port 23 to which the extension pipe 5 is connected, and a cleaner. A rechargeable battery 24 as a power source for driving the main body 2 and the mouthpiece 6 is provided. A user can operate and stop the electric blower 21, switch between strong, medium and weak, and operate and stop the electric motor provided in the suction body 6 by operating the operation switch SW of the cleaner main body 2. - 特許庁

One end of the extension pipe 5 is connected to a connection port 23 of the cleaner body 2 so as to fluidly communicate with the dust collecting portion 22 of the cleaner body 2 . The other end of the extension pipe 5 is connected to the mouthpiece 6 . The extension pipe 5 is formed with a ventilation passage (not shown) communicating therein. The extension pipe 5 also includes a power supply wiring (not shown) for supplying power from the main body 2 of the cleaner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mouthpiece 6 has a substantially T-shape when viewed from above. The mouthpiece 6 includes a mouthpiece case 10 for sucking dust and a mouthpiece joint 13 connected to the mouthpiece case 10 .

The mouthpiece case 10 includes, when viewed from above, a mouthpiece main body 11 elongated in the left-right direction (width direction), and a connecting portion 12 provided in the center of the mouthpiece main body 11 in the left-right direction and connected to the mouthpiece joint 13 . and A flow path R (see FIG. 4) is formed in the connecting portion 12 to allow the main body 11 and the joint 13 to communicate with each other.

The mouthpiece main body 11 is provided with bumpers 11a extending from the front end surface to the left and right side surfaces. The bumper 11a is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. The bumper 11a serves as a sealing material to ensure the airtightness inside the mouthpiece body 11 when the vacuum cleaner 1 is used, and prevents the furniture and the like from being damaged when the mouthpiece body 11 collides with the furniture and the like, and protects the mouthpiece. It can also serve as a cushioning material that absorbs impact on the main body 11 .

The mouthpiece main body 11 is also provided with a plurality of lenses (two lenses 60 and 61 in the illustrated example). Lenses 60 and 61 are lenses for irradiating the surface to be cleaned with light emitted from LEDs 71 and 72 (see FIG. 4). In Embodiment 1, the lenses 60 and 61 are provided at a position higher than the bumper 11a on the front surface of the suction member 6 (upper front surface).

The mouthpiece joint 13 includes a first connecting portion 14 rotatably connected to the connecting portion 12 and a second connecting portion 15 rotatably connected to the first connecting portion 14 . .

The second connecting portion 15 is provided with a power supply terminal 15a to which power is supplied. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of Embodiment 1 is configured such that electric power to be supplied to the suction member 6 is supplied from the cleaner main body 2 through the extension pipe 5 .

As shown in FIG. 3, in the vacuum cleaner 1, a brush chamber Q having an opening is formed in a bottom face of a suction body 11 of a suction body 6 facing a surface to be cleaned. A brush 20 is provided.

The rotating brush 20 is rotatably supported in the brush chamber Q and arranged to extend in the left-right direction on the front side of the suction port main body 11 . The rotating brush 20 is provided so as to extend from one end side to the other end side in the left-right direction of the mouthpiece body 11 . The rotating brush 20 includes a plurality of types of brushes (two brushes 20a and 20b in the illustrated example) having different hardnesses, heights, etc., and the brushes 20a and 20b are spirally arranged. The rotating brush 20 is connected to an electric motor 40 provided inside the mouthpiece main body 11 and is rotationally driven by the electric motor 40 .

The electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a brush drive switch 16 , a rear brush 30 and side fixed brushes 31 on the bottom surface of the suction main body 11 of the suction body 6 .

The brush drive switch 16 is a switch for detecting whether or not the bottom surface of the suction body 6 is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (in this embodiment, the floor surface M (see FIG. 2)). The brush drive switch 16 is provided behind the rear brush 30 so as to be integrated with a wheel 16a that travels in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). The wheel 16a is provided so that a portion of the wheel 16a always protrudes downward (in the direction of the surface to be cleaned) from the bottom surface of the mouthpiece main body 11 by an urging means such as a spring. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is operated by the user with the bottom surface of the suction body 6 in close contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M), the wheels 16a are stressed by the front-rear movement operation and the rotation operation applied to the vacuum cleaner 1. receive and run. Thereby, the wheels 16 a improve the operability of the mouthpiece 6 .

The rear brush 30 is a member that prevents dust from leaking to the rear of the suction body 6 . The rear brush 30 is provided at a position behind the rotating brush 20 so as to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the suction port main body 11 and come into contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). The rear brush 30 can improve the airtightness of the brush chamber Q and improve the performance of collecting fine dust. In addition, the rear brush 30 can prevent the dust repelled by the rotating brush 20 from leaking to the rear of the suction body 6 by slipping through the gap between the bottom surface of the suction body 11 and the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). can.

The side fixed brush 31 is a member that prevents dust from leaking out in the lateral direction of the suction body 6 . The side fixed brushes 31 are provided at the left and right positions of the rotating brush 20 so as to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the mouthpiece main body 11 and come into contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). The side fixed brushes 31 are provided so as to extend from the front to the rear of the mouthpiece body 11 at positions near the left end and near the right end of the bottom surface of the mouthpiece body 11 . The side fixed brush 31 can improve the airtightness of the brush chamber Q and improve the performance of collecting fine dust. The side fixed brush 31 is made of soft non-woven fabric or the like, and can prevent the bottom surface of the mouthpiece main body 11 from scratching the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M).

When the vacuum cleaner 1 is in use, when the brush drive switch 16 detects that the wheel 16a protrudes downward from the suction port body 11 and is not in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M), the circuit board 50 (see FIG. 4) stops the driving of the electric motor 40 (see FIG. 4) and stops the rotation of the rotating brush 20. FIG. Further, when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is in use, when the brush drive switch 16 detects that the wheel 16a is pushed in and is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M), the circuit board 50 (see FIG. 4) is detected. ) drives the electric motor 40 to rotate the rotating brush 20 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the suction member 6 includes an LED board 70 in front and above the rotating brush 20 (see FIG. 3), and an electric motor 40 and a circuit board behind the rotating brush 20 (see FIG. 3). 50 and .

The LED board 70 is a board on which a plurality of irradiation units (two LEDs 71 and 72 in this embodiment) are mounted. The LED board 70 has a rectangular shape and is arranged in the mouthpiece main body 11 so that its mounting surface faces the front in a vertical state. The LEDs 71 and 72 are irradiation units for irradiating the surface to be cleaned. In the present embodiment, the LED 71 and the LED 72, which are irradiation units for irradiating the surface to be cleaned, are provided separately in the left-right direction in the mouthpiece main body 11 .

The electric motor 40 is a drive source for the rotating brush 20 . The electric motor 40 is attached to one end side of the mouthpiece main body 11 in the left-right direction. The electric motor 40 has its output shaft arranged parallel to the lateral direction of the mouthpiece main body 11 . The output shaft of the electric motor 40 extends toward one end in the left-right direction, and is connected to a toothed belt (not shown) at one end (the left end in the example shown in FIG. 4) inside the mouthpiece main body 11. ) to the rotating brush 20 (see FIG. 3).

The circuit board 50 is a board on which a drive circuit 51 (see FIG. 5) that controls the operation of the LEDs 71 and 72 is mounted. The circuit board 50 is attached at a position opposite to the electric motor 40 in the left-right direction inside the mouthpiece main body 11 . The circuit board 50 has a rectangular shape and is arranged in the mouthpiece main body 11 so that its mounting surface is vertical.

<Circuit configuration of circuit board and LED board, and current flowing through irradiation unit of vacuum cleaner>
5 and 6, the circuit configuration of the circuit board 50 and the LED board 70 and the current flowing through the irradiation section (LEDs 71, 72) of the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a circuit configuration diagram of the circuit board 50 and the LED board 70. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram of currents I1 and I2 flowing through the irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72) of the vacuum cleaner 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the vacuum cleaner 1 has a switch 90 . The switch 90 is a switch for selecting a mode in which the LEDs 71 and 72 are constantly lit (constant lighting mode) or a mode in which the LEDs 71 and 72 are blinked (blinking mode) as the mode of the irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72) for illuminating the surface to be cleaned. is. In the first embodiment, the switch 90 is assumed to be provided in the vicinity of the operation switch SW (see FIG. 1). The switch 90 is electrically connected with the circuit board 50 . The circuit board 50 has a drive circuit 51 and is electrically connected to the LED board 70 on which the LEDs 71 and 72 are mounted. The drive circuit 51 is a control section that controls the operations of the LEDs 71 and 72 . On the LED substrate 70, a wiring pattern for passing a current through the LEDs 71 and a wiring pattern for passing a current through the LEDs 72 are arranged in parallel. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the current I1 flows through the LED 71 and the current I2 flows through the LED 72 .

The circuit board 50 and the LED board 70 are connected to a brush drive switch 16 for detecting whether or not the bottom surface of the mouthpiece main body 11 is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M), and an electric motor 40 as a rotational drive source for the rotating brush 20. connected to the wiring that connects The brush drive switch 16 is turned off when the wheel 16a (see FIG. 3) is not in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). At this time, no current flows through the motor 40 and the LEDs 71 and 72 . Therefore, the electric motor 40 stops driving, the rotating brush 20 (see FIG. 3) connected to the electric motor 40 stops rotating, and the LEDs 71 and 72 are extinguished. On the other hand, the brush drive switch 16 is turned ON when the wheel 16a (see FIG. 3) is in contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). At this time, current flows through the motor 40 and the LEDs 71 and 72 . Therefore, the electric motor 40 is driven, the rotating brush 20 (see FIG. 3) connected to the electric motor 40 is rotated, and the LEDs 71 and 72 are lit.

In the present embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 operates in a mode in which the LEDs 71 and 72 are constantly lit (constant lighting mode) or blinked (flashing mode) by the user operating the switch 90 (see FIG. 5). ) can be selected and set. However, the vacuum cleaner 1 may be configured such that the flashing mode is set as the default mode, the flashing mode is executed when the user does not select it, and the constant lighting mode is executed only when the user selects the constant lighting mode. good.

When the blinking mode is selected, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 causes the LEDs 71 and 72 to blink by causing the currents I1 and I2 having the waveforms shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the blinking frequency of the LEDs 71 and 72 (irradiation section) by the drive circuit 51 (control section) is set to, for example, 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less (predetermined frequency). The reason for this will be described later.

The cleaning operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the irradiation state of the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) by the LEDs 71 and 72 (irradiating units) for irradiating the surface to be cleaned. Here, it is assumed that the blinking mode is selected as the mode of the LEDs 71 and 72 .

When the user operates the operation switch SW (see FIG. 1) to start operation (cleaning), the vacuum cleaner 1 operates the electric blower 21 (see FIG. 1) to draw air from the suction port main body 11.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the user brings the bottom surface of the mouthpiece main body 11 into contact with the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) (that is, the wheels 16a (see FIG. 3)), the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) is moved. When contacting), the vacuum cleaner 1 drives an electric motor 40 (see FIG. 4) provided in the mouthpiece main body 11 to rotate the rotating brush 20 via a toothed belt (not shown). .

At the same time, in the vacuum cleaner 1, the driving circuit 51 (see FIG. 5) blinks the LEDs 71 and 72 (see FIG. 4), which are irradiation units for illuminating the surface to be cleaned, at a predetermined frequency (10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less). Let At this time, the dust 80 shown in FIG. 7 reflects the light from the LEDs 71 and 72 and appears to blink at a cycle (predetermined frequency) of 10 Hz to 30 Hz. A shadow 81 of the dust 80 also appears and disappears (appears to flicker). Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 can visualize the dust 80 which is difficult to see with the naked eye, make the user easily aware of the existence of the dust 80, and reduce the possibility of the dust 80 being missed. That is, even when a small amount of fine dust that is not detected by the dust detection means is present on the surface to be cleaned, blinking as in this embodiment improves the visibility of the fine dust.

Note that Patent Literature 1 describes changing the irradiation amount of light. This is because according to Patent Document 1, by increasing the amount of light, "the dust itself is brightly illuminated with high illuminance, so that the contrast is enhanced and the existence thereof can be recognized." In other words, in Patent Literature 1, dust is caused to blink at a predetermined cycle, and the shadow of the projected dust is made visible (made to appear to flicker). This embodiment does not have the technical idea of making it easier to notice.

The dust 80 found by the user is picked up by the rotating brush 20 when the user moves the suction port main body 11 on the dust 80, passes through the brush chamber Q, the flow path R, the extension pipe 5, and collects the dust. It is housed in the section 22 .

The vacuum cleaner 1 has a configuration in which the drive circuit 51 (see FIG. 5) drives the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned to blink. By blinking the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned, the vacuum cleaner 1 can generate a time during which no current flows through the LEDs 71 and 72, and cools the LEDs 71 and 72 during that time. It can be carried out. Such a vacuum cleaner 1 can increase the driving current of each of the LEDs 71 and 72 compared to the case where the LEDs 71 and 72 are lit continuously. As a result, the vacuum cleaner 1 can increase the brightness of each of the LEDs 71 and 72, making it easier to find the dust 80. FIG.

In the first embodiment, the blinking frequency (predetermined frequency) of the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned has been described as being 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less. This is because if the blinking frequency is too low (the blinking speed is too slow), the operating speed of the suction member 6 cannot be kept up with, and the user cannot detect the presence of the dust 80 while the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned are turned off. Conversely, if the blinking frequency is too high (the blinking speed is too fast), the user may not be able to recognize the blinking of the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned.

A user who does not want the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned to blink and wants them to be lit constantly can select the constant lighting mode by operating the switch 90 .

8, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 modifies the circuit configuration of the circuit board 50 and the LED board 70, and controls blinking of the LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned, as shown in FIG. be able to. FIG. 8 is a circuit configuration diagram of the circuit board 50 and the LED board 70 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the modification. FIG. 9 is a waveform diagram of currents I1 and I2 flowing through the irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72) of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the modification.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the modified example, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 has a configuration in which drive circuits 52 and 53 are provided for LEDs 71 and 72 for irradiating the surface to be cleaned, respectively. The drive circuit 52 outputs a current I1 having a predetermined frequency (a frequency of 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less in this embodiment) to the LED 71 so that the LED 71 blinks. The drive circuit 53 outputs a current I2 having a predetermined frequency (a frequency of 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less in this embodiment) to the LED 72 so that the LED 72 blinks. The currents I1 and I2 are out of phase so that the LEDs 71 and 72 alternately blink. That is, the vacuum cleaner 1 is provided with a plurality of irradiation units, and the phases of the light emission cycles of at least one irradiation unit and the other irradiation units are different. By alternately blinking in this manner, the visibility of dust is improved as described above.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the modified example (FIG. 8), vacuum cleaner 1 outputs current I1 and current I2 out of phase to LED71 and LED72. Thereby, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can alternately blink the right LED 71 and the left LED 72 of the mouthpiece main body 11 by shifting the phases of the blinking frequencies of the LEDs 71 and 72 .

In such a modification, the dust 80 shown in FIG. 7 alternately reflects the light from the LED 71 and the light from the LED 72, so that it appears to blink alternately left and right. Shadows 81 of dust 80 also appear to flicker (move) alternately left and right. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the modified example can improve the visibility of the dust 80 that is difficult to see with the naked eye, make it easier for the user to notice the presence of the dust 80, and reduce the possibility of the dust 80 being missed. can.

In the first embodiment, the case where the number of LEDs for illuminating the surface to be cleaned is two has been described, but the vacuum cleaner 1 can be used in a case where the number of LEDs for illuminating the surface to be cleaned is three or more. can be controlled.

As described above, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, the visibility of the dust 80 can be improved by making the dust 80 invisible on the surface to be cleaned visible. This makes it easier for the user to notice the presence of the dust 80, and reduces the chances of the dust 80 missing.

[Embodiment 2]
The electric vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) according to the first embodiment described above is configured to illuminate the surface to be cleaned with two irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72) provided on the left and right sides of the mouthpiece main body 11. .
In contrast, the third embodiment provides a vacuum cleaner 1B configured to illuminate the surface to be cleaned with three illuminating units (LEDs 71, 72, 73) provided on the left, right, and center of the mouthpiece main body 11. FIG.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the suction body 6A of the vacuum cleaner 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 1A with the upper part of the suction case 10 of the suction body 6A removed.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the vacuum cleaner 1A according to the second embodiment has a lens in the center of the mouthpiece main body 11 compared to the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIGS. 2 and 4). 62 (see FIG. 10) and an LED 73 (see FIG. 11) inside the center of the mouthpiece main body 11. The lens 62 is a lens for irradiating the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) with the light emitted from the LED 73 (see FIG. 11).

FIG. 12 is a circuit configuration diagram of the circuit board 50 and the LED board 70 of the vacuum cleaner 1A. As shown in FIG. 12, the electric vacuum cleaner 1A has a configuration in which drive circuits 52, 53, and 54 are provided for LEDs 71, 72, and 73 for illuminating the surface to be cleaned, respectively. The drive circuit 52 outputs a current I1 having a predetermined frequency (a frequency of 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less in this embodiment) to the LED 71 so that the LED 71 blinks. The drive circuit 53 outputs a current I2 having a predetermined frequency (a frequency of 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less in this embodiment) to the LED 72 so that the LED 72 blinks. The currents I1 and I2 are out of phase so that the LEDs 71 and 72 alternately blink. The drive circuit 54 outputs a constant current I3 to the LED 73 so that the LED 73 is always lit.

As shown in FIG. 13, vacuum cleaner 1A outputs current I3 of a constant value to LED73 and currents I1 and I2 out of phase to LED71 and LED72. As a result, the electric vacuum cleaner 1A keeps the LED 73 provided in the center of the suction mouth main body 11 constantly lit, and shifts the phases of the blinking frequencies of the LEDs 71 and 72 so that the LED 71 provided on the right side of the suction mouth main body 11 and the LED 71 provided on the left side The provided LED 72 is alternately blinked.

In such a vacuum cleaner 1A, the dust 80 shown in FIG. 7 always reflects the light from the LED 73 and alternately reflects the light from the LED 71 and the light from the LED 72, so that the dust alternately blinks left and right. looks like In addition, the light from the LED 73 causes a shadow 81 of the dust 80 to move away from the suction port main body 11, and the light from the LED 71 and the light from the LED 72 cause the shadow 81 of the dust 80 to alternately flicker left and right (moving). I can see it. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1A can improve the visibility of the dust 80 that is hard to see with the naked eye, make it easier for the user to notice the presence of the dust 80, and reduce the possibility of the dust 80 being missed.

If the brightness of the LED 73 that is always lit is bright, the shadow of the dust 80 may become less noticeable when the other LEDs 71 and 72 are lit. Therefore, it is preferable that the brightness of the LED 73 that is always on is lower than the brightness of the LEDs 71 and 72 that are blinking.

In addition, although the case where the number of LEDs for irradiating the surface to be cleaned is three has been described in the second embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1A may have an odd number of LEDs for irradiating the surface to be cleaned. Similar control can be performed by distinguishing between the center LED, the right LED, and the left LED.

As described above, according to the vacuum cleaner 1A according to the second embodiment, similarly to the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIGS. 2 and 4), the dust 80 that is hard to see on the surface to be cleaned is removed. , the visibility of the dust 80 can be improved. Moreover, unlike the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1</b>A according to the second embodiment illuminates the dust 80 with the light from the LED 73 provided in the center of the mouthpiece main body 11 . As a result, the visibility of the dust 80 can be further improved as compared with the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, the presence of the dust 80 can be easily noticed by the user, and the dust 80 can be less likely to escape. can.

[Embodiment 3]
The electric vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) according to the first embodiment described above is configured to illuminate the surface to be cleaned with two irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72) provided on the left and right sides of the mouthpiece main body 11. .
On the other hand, in the third embodiment, there are four irradiation units (LEDs 71 and 72 and two lamps (not shown) provided behind the lenses 63 and 64 (see FIG. 14) provided in two stages on the left and right sides of the mouthpiece main body 11 . A vacuum cleaner 1B configured to illuminate a surface to be cleaned with two LEDs) is provided.

The configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a suction body 6B of a vacuum cleaner 1B according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 14, the vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment has a lens 60 and a lens 63 on the right side of the mouthpiece main body 11 compared to the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 2). and a lens 64 in addition to the lens 61 on the left side of the mouthpiece main body 11 . Further, in the vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment, when compared with the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 4), the lenses 63 and 64 have respective covers corresponding to the lenses 63 and 64. It is also different in that it includes an LED (not shown) that is an irradiation unit for irradiating the surface to be cleaned.

Lenses 63 and 64 are lenses for irradiating the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) with light emitted from an LED (not shown) for illuminating the surface to be cleaned provided behind the lenses 63 and 64 . is. Lenses 63 and 64 are provided at positions lower than lenses 60 and 61 . Specifically, in the third embodiment, the lenses 60 and 61 are provided at a position (above the front surface) higher than the bumper 11a on the front surface of the suction body 6B, while the lenses 63 and 64 are provided on the front surface of the suction body 6B. It is provided at a position (lower front surface) at the same height as the bumper 11a. Further, LEDs (not shown) that are irradiation units for irradiating the surface to be cleaned corresponding to the lenses 63 and 64 are LEDs 71 and 72 that are irradiation units for irradiating the surface to be cleaned corresponding to the lenses 60 and 61 (see FIG. 4). (see reference). Hereinafter, the LEDs (not shown) corresponding to the lenses 63, 64 may be referred to as "lower LEDs", and the LEDs 71, 72 (see FIG. 4) corresponding to the lenses 60, 61 may be referred to as "upper LEDs".

The electric vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment blinks the LED 71 corresponding to the lens 60 and the LED (not shown) corresponding to the lens 63, so that light is emitted from the right side of the mouthpiece main body 11 in the vertical direction. toward the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M). Further, the electric vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment blinks the LED 72 corresponding to the lens 61 and the LED (not shown) corresponding to the lens 64, so that light is emitted from the left side of the mouthpiece main body 11 in the vertical direction. Irradiate toward the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M).

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the irradiation state of the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) by the irradiation unit of the electric vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the vacuum cleaner 1B illuminates a relatively distant place from the suction body 6B on the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) with lenses 60 and 61 provided above the front surface of the suction body 6B. Further, the vacuum cleaner 1B illuminates a place relatively near the suction body 6B on the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) with lenses 63 and 64 provided on the lower front surface of the suction body 6B.

The vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment, like the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, has a predetermined frequency (10 Hz to 30 Hz) predetermined by a drive circuit (not shown). The LEDs 71, 72 (see FIG. 4) corresponding to the lenses 60, 61 and the lower LED (the LEDs (not shown) corresponding to the lenses 63, 64) are blinked. At this time, dust 82 on the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) appears to flicker by reflecting the light from the upper LED and the light from the lower LED. A shadow 83 of the dust 82 also appears and disappears. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1B can visualize the dust 82 that is hard to see with the naked eye, make it easier for the user to notice the presence of the dust 82, and reduce the possibility of the dust 82 being missed.

In addition, the vacuum cleaner 1B is configured so that the upper LED (the LEDs 71 and 72 (see FIG. 4) corresponding to the lenses 60 and 61) and the lower LED (the LED (not shown) corresponding to the lenses 63 and 64) blink in phase. It is also possible to alternately blink the upper LED and the lower LED by shifting . At this time, the dust 82 on the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) alternately reflects the light from the upper LED and the light from the lower LED, so that the reflection position is alternately changed up and down and it appears to blink. . A shadow 83 of the dust 82 also flickers back and forth alternately (expands and contracts). Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1B can improve the visibility of the dust 82 which is hard to see with the naked eye, make it easier for the user to notice the presence of the dust 82, and reduce the possibility of the dust 82 being missed.

As described above, according to the vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment, like the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), it is possible to visualize the dust 82 that is difficult to see on the surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, the visibility of the dust 82 can be improved. Moreover, according to the vacuum cleaner 1B according to the third embodiment, unlike the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, the light from the upper LED and the light from the lower LED illuminate the dust 82 . As a result, the visibility of the dust 82 can be improved more than the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment, the presence of the dust 82 can be easily noticed by the user, and the dust 82 can be less likely to escape. can.

[Embodiment 4]
Embodiment 4 provides a vacuum cleaner 1C in which the vacuum cleaner main body 2 and the extension pipe 5 are provided with irradiation units for the surface to be cleaned (LEDs 65, 66, 67, 68 (see FIG. 16)).

The configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner 1C according to Embodiment 4 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner main body 2 and the extension pipe 5 of the vacuum cleaner 1C according to Embodiment 4. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the vacuum cleaner 1C according to the fourth embodiment has LEDs 65 and 66 in the vacuum cleaner main body 2 and an extended The difference is that LEDs 67 and 68 provided on the tube 5 are provided. LEDs 65, 66, 67, and 68 are illumination units for the surface to be cleaned. Here, it is assumed that the LEDs 65 and 66 are provided around the connection port 23 of the cleaner body 2 and the LEDs 67 and 68 are provided around the connection port of the extension tube 5 . Also, the LEDs 65, 66, 67, 68 are described as having lenses.

The electric vacuum cleaner 1C has the suction bodies 6, 6A, and 6B of the first, second, and third embodiments (see FIGS. 2, 10, and 14) and the attachment brush attached to the connection port of the extension pipe 5. (not shown) can be attached. Further, the electric vacuum cleaner 1C removes the extension pipe 5 from the cleaner main body 2 and attaches the suction bodies 6, 6A, 6B (FIG. 2) of the above-described embodiments 1, 2, and 3 to the connection port 23 of the cleaner main body 2. , FIGS. 10 and 14) or an attachment brush (not shown) can be attached. The attachment brush (not shown) is a mouthpiece provided with only a brush, not provided with an irradiation unit for irradiating the surface to be cleaned. The attachment brush (not shown) is lighter than the mouthpieces 6, 6A, 6B (see Figures 2, 10 and 14). Here, the surface to be cleaned is the desk, shelf, etc., and the user attaches an attachment brush (not shown) to the connection port 23 of the cleaner body 2 or the connection port of the extension pipe 5 to clean the desk, shelf, or the like. Description will be given assuming the case of cleaning.

1 C of vacuum cleaners are provided with the drive circuit (not shown), and LED65,66,67,68 are blinked by the predetermined frequency (10-30Hz) predetermined by the drive circuit. At this time, the vacuum cleaner 1C alternately blinks the LEDs 65, 67 and the LEDs 66, 68 by shifting the phases of the blinking frequencies of the LEDs 65, 67 and the LEDs 66, 68.

The dust 80 on the surface to be cleaned (floor surface M) alternately reflects the light from the LEDs 65 and 67 and the light from the LEDs 66 and 68, so it appears to blink alternately left and right. Shadows 81 of dust 80 also appear to flicker (move) alternately left and right. Therefore, even if an attachment brush (not shown) is attached to the connection port of the extension pipe 5 or the connection port 23 of the cleaner body 2, the vacuum cleaner 1C can be used on a desk, shelf, or the like. By improving the visibility of the dust 80 which is difficult to see in the case, the user can easily notice the presence of the dust 80, and the dust 80 can be less likely to be missed.

As described above, according to the vacuum cleaner 1C according to the fourth embodiment, like the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), it is possible to visualize the dust 80 that is difficult to see on the surface to be cleaned. Consequently, the visibility of the dust 80 can be improved. Moreover, according to the vacuum cleaner 1</b>C according to the fourth embodiment, the surface to be cleaned can be illuminated with the light from the LEDs 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 provided on the cleaner main body 2 and the extension pipe 5 . As a result, even when an attachment brush (not shown) is attached to the connection port 23 of the cleaner body 2 or the connection port of the extension pipe 5 to clean a desk, a shelf, or the like, the presence of the dust 80 can be detected by the user. can be easily noticed, and the amount of dust 80 that escapes can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Also, part of the configuration of the embodiment can be replaced with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of each configuration with another configuration.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A, 1B, 1C vacuum cleaner 2 cleaner body 5 extension pipe 6, 6a, 6B suction body (suction tool)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Mouthpiece case 11 Mouth main body 11a Bumper 12 Connection part 13 Mouth joint 14 First connection part 15 Second connection part 15a Power supply terminal 16 Brush drive switch 16a Wheel 20 Rotating brush (rotating cleaning team)
20a, 20b brush 21 electric blower 22 dust collector 23 connection port 24 rechargeable battery 30 rear brush 31 side fixed brush 40 electric motor 50 circuit board 51 drive circuit (control unit)
52, 53 drive circuit 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 lens 70 LED substrate 65, 66, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73 LED (irradiation unit)
80, 82 Dust 81, 83 Shadow 90 Switch I1, I2, I3 Current M Floor (surface to be cleaned)
Q Brush chamber R Channel SW Operation switch

Claims (9)

an electric blower that generates a suction force;
a dust collector that stores dust sucked by the electric blower;
an irradiation unit that irradiates a surface to be cleaned with light;
and a control unit that controls blinking of the irradiation unit at a predetermined frequency. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the predetermined frequency is 10 Hz or more and 30 Hz or less. In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or claim 2,
comprising a plurality of said irradiation units,
1. A vacuum cleaner characterized in that at least one irradiating section and the other irradiating sections have different phases of light emission cycles. In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 3,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the plurality of irradiation units are provided separately in the left-right direction. In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 or claim 4,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the plurality of irradiation units are vertically separated from each other. In the vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the plurality of irradiation units are provided in a suction body. In the vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the plurality of irradiation units are provided around a connection port of a vacuum cleaner body. In the vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
A vacuum cleaner, wherein the plurality of irradiation units are provided around a connecting port of an extension pipe. In the vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An electric vacuum cleaner, comprising a switch that enables selection of whether the irradiation unit is to be lit all the time or to be blinked.

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