Suction cleaner

• US 7,647,671 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Susumu, Nishinaka, Noboru, Yoshimura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Lee D
• Application Number:
  US10/494,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• Field of Search: 153/31, 153/32, 153/33, 153/34, 154/16, 154/151, 154/19
• US Class Current: 15/334
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts

Abstract

A suction cleaner that sucks in dust, from a suction mouth of a suction mouth body, with airflow generated through operation of an electric air blower and introduces the sucked airflow into a dust collection device to collect the dust. The suction mouth body is provided with a first suction mouth and a second suction mouth. An agitator is arranged at the first suction mouth. The first suction mouth is selected by a suction mouth-switching device, and the agitator is driven when the suction is carried out from the first suction mouth. A mechanism for transmitting power to the agitator includes a driving pulley that co-rotates with the agitator, an idler that can be rotated independently of the agitator, and a belt that is shifted between the driving pulley and the idler by a belt-switching device.

Claims

1. A suction cleaner, comprising:

an electric blower for producing an airstream;

a suction mouth unit through which the air stream produced by the electric blower is sucked in together with dust; and

a dust collecting device into which the air stream and dust sucked in through the suction mouth unit are introduced to collect the dust,

wherein the suction mouth unit comprises;

a first suction mouth;

a second suction mouth formed in at least part of a region in front of the first suction mouth with said first and second suction mouths being generally parallel; and

an agitator arranged in the first suction mouth,

the suction cleaner further comprising;

a suction mouth switching device configured to permit selective use of the first suction mouth and the second suction mouth, wherein the agitator is driven when suction is performed through the first suction mouth;

wherein a motive power transmission mechanism for transmitting motive power to the agitator includes a drive pulley that rotates together with the agitator, an idler that can rotate independently of the agitator, and a belt that is shifted by a belt shifting device between a state wound on the drive pulley and a state wound on the idler; and

wherein, of the suction mouth switching device and the belt shifting device, one is arranged on one of a left-hand and a right-hand side of the suction mouth unit and the other is arranged on the other side of the suction mouth unit, and the suction mouth switching device and the belt shifting device are linked together by coordinating means so that switching of the suction mouths and shifting of the belt are performed in a coordiated fashion.

2. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the agitator is driven with motive power different from motive power with which the electric blower is driven.

3. The suction cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a cleaner main unit is rotatably coupled to the suction mouth unit, and driving of the agitator is stopped coordinatedly when the cleaner main unit is brought into a storage posture.

4. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, when one of the suction mouth switching device and the belt shifting device is operated, the other is operated in a coordinated fashion therewith.

5. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the belt shifting device can be operated also in an uncoordinated fashion with the suction mouth switching device.

6. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction mouth switching device includes a switch valve of which a valve shaft has a lever formed integrally therewith, and the lever is used as a component belonging to the coordinating means.

7. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a second suction mouth having a smaller opening area than the first suction mouth is formed near the first suction mouth.

8. The suction cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a cleaner main unit is rotatably coupled to the suction mouth unit, and driving of the agitator is stopped, by shifting the belt, coordinatedly when the cleaner main unit is brought into a storage posture.