Electric vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A pleated filter is provided higher than an upper opening of a dust collecting unit. An introduction hole is provided on the downstream side of the pleated filter. When switching to a dust moving state, the outside air introduced from an introduction hole spreads to the entirety of the pleated filter when passing through the pleated filter and evenly cleans dust adhering to the entirety, and when micro dust removed from the pleated filter is moved to the dust collecting unit, this movement is supported by gravity by using the weight of micro dust. The pleated filter is prevented from being clogging by reliably moving micro dust removed from the pleated filter to the dust collecting unit, and when switching to a suctioning state, a suction air amount to pass through the first air passage is secured, whereby reduction in suction power over time can be suppressed.

1 . An electric vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner main body which houses an electric blower;   a suction port provided on the cleaner main body;   a dust separator which is provided on the downstream side of the suction port and separates dust and air;   a main air passage which makes communication between the dust separator and a suction side of the electric blower and through which dust separated by the dust separator passes;   a dust collecting unit which is opened upward and provided in the main air passage, and traps dust separated toward the main air passage side by the dust separator;   an auxiliary air passage which makes communication between the dust separator and the suction side of the electric blower separately from the main air passage and joins at the downstream side with the main air passage;   a filter which is provided in the auxiliary air passage so as to be positioned further upstream than the joining point with the main air passage and higher than the opening of the dust collecting unit, and traps fine dust contained in the air;   an introduction hole through which the outside air can be introduced into the auxiliary air passage from the downstream side of the filter; and   a switching means which makes switching between a suctioning state where dust suctioned from the suction port by driving of the electric blower via the main air passage and the auxiliary air passage while the introduction hole is closed can be trapped in the dust collecting unit and the filter, and a dust moving state where the outside air is introduced into the auxiliary air passage from the downstream side of the filter in the suctioning state via the introduction hole by driving of the electric blower and fine dust trapped in the filter is moved to the dust collecting unit.   
   
   
       2 . The electric vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner main body comprises:   a main body case which houses the dust collecting unit; and   a lid body which is provided so as to open and close on the main body case, and holds the dust collecting unit in the main body case in a closed state, and   the dust separator, the filter, and at least a part of the auxiliary air passage are provided in the lid body.