Electric cleaner, method for producing same and mount base and bumper for electric cleaner

• US 5,144,716 A
• Filed: 10/05/1989
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Syuji, Sakurai, Hidetoshi, Sasai, Gorou, Sagawa, Kouiti
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/417,560
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 15/257 A, 15/323, 15/327.1, 15/327.2, 15/327.6, 15/327.3, 15/339
• US Class Current: 15/323
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

An electric cleaner is provided with a moving mechanism for avoiding or escaping an obstacle so as to turn and move a cleaner body when the cleaning body collides with the obstacle. According to the electric cleaner, even if the cleaner body is collided with the obstacle, it is easy to escape or avoid away from the obstacle to ensure a smooth travel of the cleaner body while preventing an overturn of the cleaner.

Claims

1. An electrical cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein;

a cylindrical mount base for carrying said cleaner body thereon, with a lower portion of said cleaner body being fitted in said cylindrical mount base;

means for enabling a turning and moving of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

means for supporting said cleaner body in said mount base so as to turnable in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction;

a bumper made of a soft material provided at an outermost peripheral portion of said mount base, and

wherein said mount base and said means for supporting said cleaner body are disposed so that an air layer is formed between the outermost peripheral portion of said mount base and said means for supporting said cleaner body in a vicinity of said bumper.

2. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a mount base for carrying said cleaner body;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose,

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be movable away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned;

means for limiting a turning enable of said cleaner body including a plurality of projections provided on said cleaner body and a plurality of stops provided on said mount base and engagable with said projections; and

a plurality of ribs provided between said cleaner body and said mount base for suppressing a swinging movement of said cleaner body;

3. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion therein;

a mount base for rotatably carrying said cleaner body;

means for enabling a turning and moving of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned;

a cord reel provided in said cleaner body, said cord reel being adapted to accommodate an electrical cord;

a cord port means provided in said cleaner body for enabling said electric cord to be withdrawn from said cleaner body; and

a gap provided between said cleaner body and said mount base, said gap having a diameter less than a diameter of said electric cord.

4. The electric cleaner according to claim 3 wherein said cord reel is located in a lower portion of said cleaner body and laterally of said electric blower.

5. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein, said cleaner body including at least an upper part having a semi-spherical configuration;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a cylindrical mount base for carrying said cleaner body, said cleaner body including a lower portion fitted in said cylindrical mount base;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose;

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be movable away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned;

a handle pivotally mounted on an upper portion of said cleaner body;

a handle recess means for receiving said handle, said handle recess means being formed in an outer surface of a wall of an upper portion of said cleaner body; and

a grip recess for an accessory chamber cover formed contiguously with said handle recess means in said cleaner body.

20. The electric cleaner according to claim 5, wherein an opening in communication with said dust collecting portion is formed in said upper portion of said cleaner body, a cover is provided for covering said opening, and a suction port adapted to accommodate said suction hose is formed in said cover.

21. The electric cleaner according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of legs are provided on said mount base and extend radially outwardly therefrom, and wherein said means for enabling a moving and turning is provided on the respective legs.

22. The electric cleaner according to claim 21 wherein said electric blower and a cord reel for accommodating an electric cord are mounted on a lower portion of said mount base.

6. An electrical cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein, said cleaner body including at least an upper part having a semi-spherical shape;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a mount base for carrying said cleaner body;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose;

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned, so as to enable said cleaner body to be movable away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned; and

a suction port in communication with said collecting portion and spaced from a top of said upper portion, said suction hose being adapted to be mounted through a hose connector to said suction port so that said suction hose is directed in a downward direction toward said surface to be cleaned.

7. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein, said cleaner body including a semi-spherical upper case and a cylindrical lower case;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a cylindrical mount base for carrying said cleaner body, said lower case being fitted into said cylindrical mount base;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose; and

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be movable away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned.

8. The electric cleaner according to claim 7, wherein an opening in communication with said dust collecting portion is formed in said upper case, a cover is provided for covering said opening, a suction port adapted to accommodate said suction hose is formed on said cover, and said cover is pivotally mounted on an upper portion of said upper case to be movable in said upward direction.

9. The electric cleaner according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of legs are provided on said mount base and extend radially outwardly therefrom, and said meand for enabling a moving and turning are respectively provided on said legs.

10. The electric cleaner according to claim 7, wherein said electric blower and a cord reel for accommodating an electric cord are mounted on a lower portion of an interior of said lower case.

11. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including an electric blower and a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein, said cleaner body including an upper case and a lower case;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a cylindrical mount base for carrying said cleaner body, said lower case being fitted into said mount base, and at least an upper peripheral portion of a lower edge of said upper case is one of flush with or inside an outer periphery of an upper edge of said mount base;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose; and

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be moved away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned.

19. An electric cleaner according to claim 11, wherein a section of a bumper is provided over an entire periphery of a wall of said cylindrical mount base, and wherein an outer peripheral surface of additional sections of said bumper is located radially outside an outer peripheral surface of said upper case.

12. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein and an electric blower;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a mount base for carrying said cleaner body;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose;

a plurality of casters for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be moved away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned;

a plurality of legs extending outwardly from said mount base, each of said legs including an upper curved surface and respectively accommodating said casters;

a mount frame means for mounting each of said casters, said mount frame means being adapted to cover a lower surface of each of said legs;

a bumper provided on an outer surface of a wall of said mount base; and

an elastic cover integrally provided with said bumper for covering each of said legs.

13. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein and an electric blower, said cleaner body including an upper case and a lower case;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a cylindrical mount base for carrying said cleaner body, said cleaner body having a lower portion fitted in said cylindrical mount base, said upper case including an outer peripheral surface disposed outside of an outer peripheral surface of an upper edge of said mount base;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body on said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said cleaner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose;

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned, so as to enable said cleaner body to be moved away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned;

means for discharging exhaust air of said electric blower flowing from an interior of said cleaner body toward said mount base to an exterior of the electric cleaner through a space between said mount base and said cleaner body.

14. The electric cleaner according to claim 13, wherein a flanged portion is formed at a lower edge of said upper case and overlaps an upper edge of said lower case for enabling a discharge of exhaust air in a downward direction.

15. The electric cleaner according to claim 13, further comprising a sound shield case means for covering said electric blower and leading exhaust air of said electric blower to a discharge port formed in a bottom of said cleaner body, and an accessory chamber wall integrally formed with an upper surface of said sound shielding case means.

16. An electric cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a dust collecting portion encasing a filter therein and an electric blower;

a suction hose mounted on said cleaner body;

a mount base for carrying said cleaner body;

means for enabling a turning of said cleaner body about a hollow center shaft of said mount base in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction of said claner body in dependence upon a direction in which a pulling force is applied to said suction hose, said means for enabling a turning including an engaging shaft mounted within said center shaft so as to be rotatable in the clockwise and the counterclockwise direction, and a plurality of rotatable members each having a circular cross section disposed between said cleaner body and said mount base to facilitating a turning of said cleaner body;

means, including said means for enabling the turning, for enabling a moving and turning of said mount base on a surface to be cleaned so as to enable said cleaner body to be moved away from an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned;

a recess for communicating with a hollow portion of said center shaft provided in a middle of a bottom of said mount base, said recess exposing a portion of said engaging shaft; and

a retainer cover for the engaging shaft fixed to the exposed portion of said engaging shaft by a coupling tool so as to prevent said engaging shaft from dropping out of said mount base.

17. A bumper for an electric cleaner, the bumper comprising an elastic cover integrally formed in one piece comprising a section of the bumper for covering a portion of a wall of a mount base of the electric cleaner, and additional sections of the bumper for covering an upper surface of a plurality of legs supporting said electric cleaner and extending outwardly from said mount base and extending outwardly beyond the horizontal periphery of the wall of the mount base and extending outwardly beyond the horizontal periphery of the wall of the mount base.

23. A bumper for an electric cleaner according to claim 17, wherein an air layer is formed between the bumper and said mount base.

24. A bumper according to claim 17, wherein said mount base includes a rib having a T-shaped cross-sectional configuration, and having said bumper includes opposed edge portions inserted between said rib and said mount base.

18. A method of manufacturing an electric cleaner, the method comprising the steps of:

holding an upper case substantially horizontally with an opening surface of the upper case being directed in an upward direction;

mounting an inner case, a cord reel, a sound shielding case an an electric blower within said upper case;

mounting a cylindrical lower case having premounted wheels onto said upper case; and

mounting a mount base having premounted casters onto said lower case.