Electric vacuum cleaner and dust collecting unit for use therein

Abstract

An electric vacuum cleaner 100 and a dust collecting unit 5 for use therein of the present invention include a dust collecting container 51 into which air sucked at the time of cleaning is led and a cyclone mechanism 52 for causing the air led into the dust collecting container 51 to swirl to separate dust contained in the air from the air, and are further provided with a filter 25 outside the dust collecting container 51 for catching minute dust contained in the air discharged from the dust collecting container 51. According to the electric vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collecting unit 5 for use therein of the present invention, minute dust not removed from the air in the dust collecting container 51 by the cyclone mechanism 52 can be surely caught by the filter 25 provided outside the dust collecting container 51. And since the filter 25 is provided outside the dust collecting container 51, it has a preferable maintenance property for cleaning, exchange and the like.

1 . An electric vacuum cleaner including 
 a suction means,    a cleaner main body communicated with the suction means,    a dust collecting chamber provided in the cleaner main body and having an air suction port and an air outlet port,    a cyclone mechanism provided in the dust collecting chamber for causing air led into the dust collecting chamber to swirl thereby to separate dust from the air, and    a filter for catching minute dust contained in the air discharged from the air outlet port, the filter being provided outside the dust collecting chamber and on the downstream side of the air outlet port seen in the air flow direction.    
   
   
       2 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , in which the cyclone mechanism includes 
 a circular cylinder disposed substantially in the center of the dust collecting chamber and provided with an air inlet port in the circumferential surface thereof,    an air discharge cylinder disposed substantially coaxially in the circular cylinder, one end of the air discharge cylinder being disposed in the circular cylinder and the other end being communicated with the air outlet port,    a swirl air flow generating means for causing air entering through the air inlet port into a space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder to swirl along the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder, and    a dust outlet port provided in the circular cylinder for discharging dust separated from the air swirled by the swirl air flow generating means to the outside of the circular cylinder.    
   
   
       3 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 2 , in which 
 the swirl air flow generating means includes a spiral blade provided in the space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder and adapted to lead air to swirl and flow in the axial direction of the circular cylinder and the air discharge cylinder.    
   
   
       4 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 3 , in which 
 the dust collecting chamber is defined by a container including a cylindrical part and the container is attachable to and detachable from the cleaner main body.    
   
   
       5 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 4 , in which 
 the container is provided with the air suction port so that air can flow into the container along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical part, and    a primary separation cylinder having a plural air holes in the circumferential surface thereof is provided so as to coaxially enclose the circular cylinder, for separating large-sized dust from the air entering through the air suction port.    
   
   
       6 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 5 , in which 
 the filter is provided on the outer surface of one end of the container in an attachable and detachable manner.    
   
   
       7 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 5 , in which 
 the air outlet port is provided at one end face of the container, and    the filter is provided on the outer surface of one end of the container in such a manner that it can be shifted between the closed state in which the air outlet port is closed and the open state in which the air outlet port is opened.    
   
   
       8 . An electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 7 , in which 
 the filter has a triple layer structure comprising a first filter, a second filter and a third filter in the order seen in the air stream direction, and the second filter has an additional function as a spacer for providing a predetermined space between the first filter and the third filter.    
   
   
       9 . A dust collecting unit including 
 a dust collecting container having an air suction port and an air outlet port and defining a dust collecting chamber,    a cyclone mechanism for causing air led through the air suction port into the dust collecting chamber to swirl thereby to separate dust contained in the air from the air, and    a filter for catching minute dust contained in the air discharged from the air outlet port, the filter being provided outside the dust collecting container.    
   
   
       10 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 9 , in which 
 the filter can be shifted between the closed state in which the air outlet port is closed and the open state in which the air outlet port is opened.    
   
   
       11 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 10 , in which 
 the filter is attachable to and detachable from the dust collecting container.    
   
   
       12 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 11 , in which 
 the filter has a triple layer structure comprising a first filter, a second filter and a third filter in the order seen in the air stream direction, and the second filter has an additional function as a spacer for providing a predetermined space between the first filter and the third filter.    
   
   
       13 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 9 , in which 
 the dust collecting container has a circular cylindrical shape, and    the dust collecting unit includes 
 a primary separation cylinder having a plural air holes in the circumferential surface thereof and coaxially provided in the dust collecting container for separating large-sized dust from air entering through the air suction port,  
 a circular cylinder disposed coaxially in the primary separation cylinder and provided with an air inlet port in the circumferential surface thereof, and  
 an air discharge cylinder disposed coaxially in the circular cylinder, one end of the air discharge cylinder being disposed in the circular cylinder and the other end being communicated with the air outlet port.  
   
   
   
       14 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 13  including 
 a swirl air flow generating means for causing air entering through the air inlet port of the circular cylinder into a space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder to swirl along the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder, and    a dust outlet port provided in the circular cylinder for discharging dust separated from the air swirled by the swirl air flow generating means to the outside of the circular cylinder.    
   
   
       15 . A dust collecting unit according to  claim 14  in which 
 the swirl air flow generating means includes a spiral blade provided in the space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder and adapted to lead swirl air in the axial direction of the circular cylinder and the air discharge cylinder.