JP2013212209A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric vacuum cleaner excellent in static elimination performance of static electricity is provided.
A vacuum cleaner body 2 includes a suction tool 7, an extension pipe 5 connected to the suction tool 7 and made of a conductive material, an operation pipe 4 and a hose portion 3 connected to the extension pipe 5. The extension pipe 7 includes an insulating resin member attached to a range that does not reach the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the longitudinal end portion of the extension pipe 7, and an insulating resin member. A conductive member of power feeding means disposed on the resin member so as to be insulated from the extension tube 7. Among the members constituting the extension tube 5, at least the insulating resin member contains an antistatic agent. The surface resistivity is made smaller than that of a member made of a general-purpose resin that is made of a material and does not contain an antistatic agent.
[Selection] Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner excellent in static electricity elimination.

Conventionally, a general electric vacuum cleaner has a vacuum cleaner body, a hose part connected to the vacuum cleaner body at one end, an operation pipe connected at one end to the other end of the hose part, and one end connected to the other of the operation pipe. An extension pipe connected to the end and a suction tool detachably attached to the other end of the extension pipe are provided.
The extension pipe includes an outer pipe and an inner pipe inserted into the outer pipe from the other end of the outer pipe, and the inner pipe is slidably connected to the outer pipe so that the length can be adjusted. Things are known.
There is also known an electric vacuum cleaner in which a power brush is incorporated in a suction tool, and the power brush is configured to include a rotary cleaning body that scrapes the dust on the floor and an electric motor that drives the rotary cleaning body. (Patent Document 1).

In the electric vacuum cleaner of patent document 1, the channel | path isolate | separated from the ventilation path is formed in the inner tube | pipe and outer tube | pipe of an extension pipe | tube, In order to supply electric power to the power brush of a suction tool in this channel | path A conductive member is disposed.
According to such a vacuum cleaner, the conductive member does not become a pressure loss of the ventilation path, and compared with the conductive member exposed to the outside of the extension pipe, the conductive member is removed during the cleaning operation. On the other hand, there will be no problems such as the object being caught.

JP 9-24003 A

By the way, when a vacuum cleaner is used, dust collides with the extension pipe and the like, thereby generating static electricity. However, there has been a demand for eliminating static electricity generated in this way.
In particular, when the extension pipe is a metal pipe, there is a risk of receiving a large electric shock when a person touches it compared to a general-purpose resin extension pipe.

  An object of this invention is to provide the vacuum cleaner excellent in static elimination property of static electricity.

  The present invention energizes the suction tool from the suction tool, the extension pipe connected to the suction tool and made of a conductive material, the operation tube and the hose portion connected to the extension pipe, and the cleaner body. A power supply means, and the extension pipe is attached to an insulating resin member that covers an entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the longitudinal end portion of the extension pipe, and on the insulating resin member. And a conductive member of the power feeding means arranged insulated from the extension pipe, and among the members constituting the extension pipe, at least the insulating resin member is a material containing an antistatic agent. The surface specific resistance value is smaller than that of a member formed of a general-purpose resin that does not contain an antistatic agent.

  According to the present invention, among the members constituting the extension pipe, at least the insulating resin member deposited in a range that does not reach the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the extension pipe is antistatic. It is made of a material containing an agent, and its surface resistivity is smaller than that of a member made of a general-purpose resin that does not contain an antistatic agent. To the conductive member of the power feeding means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vacuum cleaner excellent in static elimination property of static electricity is obtained.

It is an appearance perspective view showing the whole vacuum cleaner concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the extension pipe | tube and the operation pipe | tube. (A) is a side view of the state in which the extension tube is contracted, (b) is a side view of the state in which the extension tube is extended, and (c) is a bottom view of the state in which the extension tube is extended. It is a disassembled perspective view of the outer pipe of an extension pipe. It is a figure which shows the supporting member with which an outer tube is equipped, (a) is a disassembled perspective view, (b) is a perspective view. It is a disassembled perspective view of the inner pipe of an extension pipe. It is a perspective view which shows mounting | wearing of the energization terminal with respect to a base member. (A) is an expanded perspective view which shows the other end part of an inner pipe, (b) is a perspective view which shows a frame cover and a static elimination member, (c) is explanatory drawing which shows the mounting state of a frame cover and a static elimination member. . (A) is the figure which looked at the extension pipe from one end side, (b) is the figure which looked at the extension pipe from the other end side. (A) is a longitudinal end view of the extension tube, (b) is an enlarged longitudinal end view of the other end of the extension tube. (A) is a perspective view of the extension pipe in a contracted state, (b) is a perspective view of the extension pipe partially seen through the upper cover and the cover member. (A) is a perspective view showing the arrangement relationship between the lower cover and the slide part, (b) is a plan view showing a flat cable with the extension tube contracted, (c) is a side view, and (d) is an extension. It is a partial side view which shows the flat cable in the state which extended the pipe | tube. It is the perspective view which looked at the suction tool from the lower surface side. (A) is a top view of an upper cover, (b) is BB sectional drawing in Fig.14 (a). It is a graph which shows notionally the relationship between thickness and bending strength at the time of changing content of carbon fiber. It is a figure which shows typically the mode at the time of manufacturing an extension pipe | tube by injection molding. It is a figure which shows typically the mode at the time of manufacturing an extension pipe | tube by blow molding.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the following contents, and is within a range not impairing the gist of the present invention. Any change can be made.

[1. Overall structure of vacuum cleaner]
As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes a vacuum cleaner body 2, a hose portion 3, an operation tube 4 provided with a hand operation switch SW and the like, an extendable tube 5 provided in a telescopic manner, and a suction As a tool, a second suction tool 6 and a first suction tool 7 are provided. Among these, in this embodiment, the extension pipe 5 is composed of an outer pipe 10 and an inner pipe 20, an outer pipe main body 11 (see FIG. 3B) that forms the outer pipe 10, and an inner pipe that forms the inner pipe 20. The main body 21 (see FIG. 3B) is molded from a thermoplastic resin (for example, polypropylene or ABS resin, which is a general-purpose resin) containing (including) carbon fibers.
In addition, when saying the direction of each part in the following description, along the ventilation path (not shown) from the 1st suction tool 7 to the cleaner body 2, let the side near the cleaner body 2 be one end (one end side). The side opposite to that will be described as the other end (the other end side).

  The outer shell of the cleaner body 2 is covered with an upper case and a lower case. The upper case is positioned above the approximate center in the vertical direction, and the lower case is positioned below the approximate center in the vertical direction. The vacuum cleaner main body 2 includes a built-in electric blower 2b that generates a suction force, a dust collection unit that stores dust collected by the suction force of the electric blower 2b, and the like. By operating the switch SW, etc., the operation of the electric blower 2b can be switched, and a power brush (not shown) provided in the first suction tool 7 can be turned on and off. The dust collecting part is located on the front side of the cleaner body 2 (the side on which the connection port 2a is formed). A lid that can be opened and closed is formed on the front side of the upper case. Therefore, the lid closes the upper part of the dust collecting portion so that it can be opened and closed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the operation tube 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape from the other end 4a connected to the extension tube 5 to one end 4a1 connected to the hose portion 3 (see FIG. 1). And a grip G extending from the other end 4a connected to the extension pipe 5 with respect to this portion.
The other end portion 4a is formed with a connection port 4g to which the one end portion 11b of the outer tube 10 of the extension tube 5 is directly inserted and connected. Here, one end 11b of the outer tube 10 of the extension tube 5 connected to the connection port 4g is integrally formed with the outer tube main body 11 with a thermoplastic resin containing carbon fibers, as will be described later. That is, the conductive portion of the outer tube main body 11 is directly connected to the connection port 4g, and the lower member 4b is brought into conduction with the outer tube main body 11 through the one end 11b.

  The grip G includes a lower member 4b provided integrally with the other end portion 4a, and an upper member 4c attached to the lower member 4b from above. A space portion S is formed between the lower member 4b and the upper member 4c. In the space portion S, an electrical component for the hand operation switch SW and a power supply terminal for supplying power from the cleaner body 2 are provided. 4d and 4d are arranged. An energization terminal 17 (see FIG. 3A) as a conductive member provided at one end of the outer tube 10 of the extension tube 5 is connected to the power supply terminals 4d and 4d. The lower member 4b and the upper member 4c are assembled by engaging the rib 4e provided on the upper member 4c with the edge 4f of the lower member 4b, and are fixed by tightening a screw (not shown) from above and below. The

The lower member 4b is formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS resin, polypropylene) containing an antistatic agent. That is, since the lower member 4b serving as the base portion of the operation tube 4 is formed including the antistatic agent, it has a necessary antistatic effect. Thereby, the static electricity charged in the operation tube 4 can be suitably discharged into the air (in the atmosphere).
Here, as described above, the one end portion 11b of the outer tube main body 11 is directly connected to the connection port 4g of the lower member 4b, so that static electricity charged in the outer tube 10 (extension tube 5) is passed through the lower member 4b. It can discharge suitably.

Here, as an example of the antistatic agent, a commercially available Toyolac TP10 (trade name; manufactured by Toray) is used as an electrostatic resin capable of dissipating generated static electricity when the lower member 4b is molded with ABS resin. Can be mentioned. Moreover, when shape | molding the lower member 4b with a polypropylene, although the commercially available perestat 300 (brand name; Sanyo Chemical Industries make) is mentioned in a polypropylene, it is not limited to this. By the way, in the lower member 4b formed using the Toyolac TP10, the surface specific resistance value of the lower member 4b is 1 × 10 ¹¹ Ω, and in the lower member 4b formed containing the perestat 300, the lower member 4b The surface specific resistance value of 4b was 1 × 10 ¹² Ω, which was lower than the surface specific resistance value (1 × 10 ¹⁴ Ω) of a general ABS resin. Thereby, the electrostatic potential of the lower member 4b (operation tube 4) can be suitably reduced.

The upper member 4c is formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS resin, polypropylene).
The upper member 4c may be formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS resin, polypropylene) containing the above-described antistatic agent, or the outer tube main body 11 connected to the connection port 4g of the lower member 4b. Only the upper member 4c may be formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS resin, polypropylene) containing the above-described antistatic agent so as to be in electrical contact with the one end 11b.

  One end of the hose part 3 is connected to the connection port 2a of the cleaner body 2 so as to communicate with the dust collecting part of the cleaner body 2. Further, the other end of the hose portion 3 is connected to one end of the operation tube 4.

As described above, the extension pipe 5 includes the outer pipe 10 and the inner pipe 20, and as shown in FIG. 3B, one end of the inner pipe 20 is inserted into the other end 11c of the outer pipe 10. The outer pipe 10 and the inner pipe 20 are connected so that the ventilation paths T1 and T2 communicate with each other.
As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the extension pipe 5 is extendable and contracted between the outer pipe 10 and the inner pipe 20 with elastic and conductive seal members 15d and 15e (FIG. 4). It is sealed in an airtight state in FIG. Details of the extension pipe 5 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second suction tool 6 is a suction tool that is detachably connected to the other end 20 a of the inner tube 20 of the extension pipe 5, and the first suction tool 7 is attached to the other end 6 a. Removably connected. The second suction tool 6 can function as a suction tool for sucking dust alone by removing the first suction tool 7 from the other end 6a. The second suction tool 6 may be detachably connected between the outer tube 10 of the extension tube 5 and the other end 4 a of the operation tube 4. However, the 2nd suction tool 6 is not an essential structure.

  The 1st suction tool 7 is a suction tool connected to the other end 6a of the 2nd suction tool 6, and the suction port which is not illustrated is opened by the lower surface (surface facing a cleaning surface). The first suction tool 7 can be used by being connected to the other end 20 a of the inner tube 20 of the extension tube 5 and the other end portion 4 a of the operation tube 4.

The 1st suction tool 7 is a suction tool connected to the other end 6a of the 2nd suction tool 6, and has an opening part in a lower surface (surface facing a cleaning surface) as shown in FIG. A suction chamber 40 is formed. In the suction chamber 40, a rotary cleaning body 30 constituting a power brush is incorporated. The power brush is configured to include a rotary cleaning body 30 and an electric motor (not shown) that drives the rotary cleaning body 30, and acts so as to scrape dust such as a floor surface serving as a cleaning surface with the rotary cleaning body 30.
In the vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, electric power to be supplied to the electric motor of the first suction tool 7 is supplied from the vacuum cleaner body 2 to the hose portion 3, the operation pipe 4, the extension pipe 5, and the second suction tool 6. It is configured to supply through. Details of the configuration of the first suction tool 7 and details of the configuration of the power supply means provided in the extension pipe 5 will be described later.

As described above, the extension pipe 5 includes an outer pipe main body 11 (see FIG. 3B) forming the outer pipe 10 and an inner pipe main body 21 (see FIG. 3B) forming the inner pipe 20 as carbon. Molded with a thermoplastic resin containing fibers. That is, the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 which are main constituent members of the extension tube 5 include the portion (one end portion 11b) connected to the operation tube 4 (see FIG. 2) over the entire length. It is made of a thermoplastic resin containing lightweight and high-strength carbon fibers.
The extension pipe 5 includes a power feeding means for feeding power to the first suction tool 7 (a flat cable C of the outer pipe 10 described later (see FIG. 12B)), a metal energizing terminal 27 (conductive member). , See FIG. 6 and 7).
In addition, when the 2nd suction tool 6 is interposed between the extension pipe 5 and the 1st suction tool 7, the electric power supplied from the cleaner body 2 is the 2nd suction from the extension pipe 5. It is supplied to the first suction tool 7 through a conductive member (not shown) provided in the tool 6. When the extension pipe 5 and the first suction tool 7 can be directly electrically connected, the conductive member of the second suction tool 6 is not necessary.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outer tube 10 mainly includes a cylindrical outer tube main body 11, a lower cover 12 as an insulating resin member attached to the upper portion 11 a 2 of the body portion 11 a of the outer tube main body 11, An upper cover 13 serving as a cover member that is mounted on the body 11a so as to cover the lower cover 12 is provided.
The outer tube body 11 is integrally formed by injection molding or blow molding described later, and an air passage T1 communicating with the inner tube 20 while slidably receiving the inner tube 20 (see FIG. 6) on the inner side. Is formed.
The outer tube main body 11 has a body portion 11a, one end portion 11b having a smaller diameter than the body portion 11a, and the other end portion 11c having a larger diameter than the body portion 11a.

The trunk | drum 11a has the thin part made thin compared with the one end part 11b and the other end part 11c. In this embodiment, the side part 11a1 (longitudinal direction intermediate part) of the trunk | drum 11a is made into the thin part, and weight reduction of the outer pipe | tube main body 11 is achieved. In the present embodiment, the thickness (difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter) at the thin wall portion is 1.2 mm ± 0.2 mm, which is thinner than the thickness (about 2 mm) of the conventional extension tube formed with 100% polypropylene. It has become.
The thin portion is not limited to being formed on the side portion 11a1 of the trunk portion 11a. For example, the other portion of the trunk portion 11a may be formed to be thin, and the one end portion 11b and the other end portion 11c may be formed. You may form partially as thin wall.

  A flat surface S1 on which the lower cover 12 is placed is formed on the upper portion 11a2 of the body portion 11a. A rib 11d protrudes from the upper part 11a2 so as to sandwich the flat surface S1 from both sides. The lower edge 13d of the upper cover 13 can be engaged with the rib 11d, and when the upper cover 13 is mounted, the locking portion 11e protruding at a predetermined interval in the extending direction of the rib 11d. Is engaged with the notch 13e of the upper cover 13 to position the upper cover 13 on the upper portion 11a2.

As shown in FIG. 9A, one end 11b of the outer tube main body 11 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is a connecting port provided at the other end 4a of the operation tube 4 (see FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter). It is inserted into 4g (see FIG. 2) and can be connected to the operation tube 4.
As shown in FIG. 4, a concave portion 11b1 is formed on the upper outer peripheral surface of the one end portion 11b. A connection hook (not shown) provided on the operation tube 4 is engaged with the recess 11b1.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, energization terminals 17 and 17 (pin-shaped male members, only one is shown in the figure) are arranged above the one end 11b. The energization terminals 17 and 17 are connected to power supply terminals 4d and 4d (see FIG. 2) provided in the opening of the operation tube 4. Thereby, electric power is supplied from the operation tube 4 to the outer tube 10 of the extension tube 5.

A support member 15 that slidably supports the inner tube 20 is disposed at the other end portion 11 c of the outer tube body 11. The support member 15 includes an annular frame portion 15a, an annular engagement member 15b held by the frame portion 15a, a seal support portion 15c disposed on one end side of the frame portion 15a, and seal members 15d and 15e. , And is configured.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the annular frame portion 15 a includes a mounting portion 151 and a holding portion 152. The mounting portion 151 has an outer shape corresponding to the inner surface of the opening 11c2 of the other end portion 11c of the outer tube main body 11, and is fixed to the inner surface of the opening 11c2.
A guide rib 151 a for smoothly sliding the inner tube 20 is formed on the inner surface of the mounting portion 151.
Further, an insertion portion 151b into which a slide portion 25 and a slide cover 28 (see FIGS. 6, 10A, and 10B), which will be described later, are inserted is formed at the upper end portion of the mounting portion 151. .

  The holding part 152 has an annular frame shape and is formed integrally with one end of the mounting part 151. An engagement member 15b is externally fitted and held on the holding portion 152 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. An insertion hole 152a through which the engagement protrusion 153a formed in the engagement member 15b is inserted is formed in the lower portion of the holding portion 152. A frame-like portion 152b into which a slide portion 25 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 12A), which will be described later, is inserted is formed at the upper end portion of the holding portion 152.

The engaging member 15b has a vertically long annular shape, and is externally fitted to the holding portion 152 with a gap (not shown) between the upper and lower ends of the holding portion 152 of the annular frame portion 15a. . Thereby, the engaging member 15b can move in the up-down direction using this gap. An engaging protrusion 153a that is inserted into the insertion hole 152a of the holding portion 152 is provided at the lower portion of the engaging member 15b. The engaging protrusion 153a has a size that protrudes to the inside of the holding portion 152 through the insertion hole 152a in a state where the engaging member 15b is urged upward with respect to the holding portion 152. By projecting in this way, the engaging protrusion 153a can be engaged with a concave groove 21d (not shown) of the inner tube 20 (not shown) located inside the holding part 152 (see FIG. 3C, the same applies hereinafter).
As shown in FIG. 10B, a spring support portion 153c is formed inside the engagement protrusion 153a. A spiral spring (not shown) is provided on the spring support portion 153c to the outer tube 10 (outer tube main body). It is designed to be shrunk between the inner surface of the two.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a plate-like spring portion 153b that urges the engaging member 15b upward is formed at the upper end of the engaging member 15b. Therefore, the engagement member 15b is normally biased upward by the spiral spring and the spring portion 153b, and the engagement protrusion 153a protrudes to the inside of the holding portion 152 through the insertion hole 152a. It is supposed to be retained.

  Above the engagement member 15b, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10B, a slide member 14 is disposed between the other end portion 13c of the upper cover 13. As shown in FIG. . The slide member 14 is movable along the axial direction of the outer tube 10 by a human operation through the opening 13f of the upper cover 13, and the slide member 14 is slid toward the other end side to thereby engage the engagement member. An end portion 14c enters above 15b, and pushes down the engaging member 15b downward against the urging force of the spiral spring and spring portion 153b. That is, by sliding the slide member 14 to the other end side, the engaging protrusion 153a engaged with the concave groove 21d of the inner tube 20 is released from the concave groove 21d, and the engaging protrusion 153a with respect to the concave groove 21d. Can be released. As a result, the inner tube 20 is released from the outer tube 10 and the inner tube 20 is slidable relative to the outer tube 10.

  The seal support portion 15c is an annular member, and is molded of a conductive material, for example, a thermoplastic resin containing metal or carbon fiber, to effectively discharge static electricity described later. The other end 11c of the tube body 11 is fixed in contact with the inner surface. A concave portion 154 to which the seal member 15d is attached is formed at one end of the seal support portion 15c, and a concave portion 155 to which the seal member 15e is attached is formed at the other end.

The sealing members 15d and 15e are made of a material having elasticity and conductivity in order to effectively eliminate static electricity, which will be described later, for example, a material obtained by adding metal fibers or conductive particles to an elastic material. Inside the seal members 15d and 15e, the trunk portion 21a (see FIG. 6) of the inner tube 20 is inserted. As a result, the air passages T1, T2 between the outer tube 10 and the inner tube 20 are sealed by the sealing members 15d, 15e.
Here, since both the seal support portion 15c and the seal members 15d and 15e have conductivity, the outer tube main body 11 of the outer tube 10 and the seal support portion 15c and the seal members 15d and 15e are connected to each other. The inner tube main body 21 of the inner tube 20 is connected to a state where it is electrically connected.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lower cover 12 is an elongated upper surface concave member formed of an insulating material, for example, a resin such as polypropylene, and is fitted inside the rib 11d of the upper portion 11a2 of the trunk portion 11a. It is placed on the flat surface S1 and attached to the body 11a. That is, the lower cover 12 is attached to the upper portion 11a2 of the trunk portion 11a, which is a range that does not reach the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface at the other end of the extension pipe 5.
The other end portion C1 of the flat cable C constituting the power feeding means is attached to a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction in the concave portion of the lower cover 12.
The flat cable C has flexibility, and its one end C2 is arranged so as to be folded back in a U shape to the other end side after extending to one end side along the recess. .

  Between the lower cover 12 and the upper cover 13 (on the lower cover 12), as shown in FIGS. 11B and 12A to 12C, the length of the lower cover 12 is long. A slide part 25 provided in the inner tube 20 is movably arranged along the direction. As shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C, one end portion C2 of the flat cable C that is folded back is electrically connected to one end portion of the slide portion 25 via a conductive wire W2. As a result, when the extension pipe 5 is expanded and contracted, the flat cable C is deformed to follow the sliding movement of the inner pipe 20 relative to the outer pipe 10 as shown in FIGS.

A terminal block 16 is provided at one end 12 b of the lower cover 12, and a metal energizing terminal 17 is attached to the terminal block 16. The energization terminal 17 is electrically connected to the other end C1 of the flat cable C through the conductive wire W1, as schematically shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG.
That is, the energization terminal 17 is supported by the outer tube main body 11 via the insulating lower cover 12 and is disposed in a state where it is not electrically connected to the outer tube main body 11.

The upper cover 13 is made of an insulating material such as polypropylene. The upper cover 13 is integrally attached to the upper portion 11a2 of the outer tube main body 11 by fitting the lower edge 13d to the rib 11d provided on the upper portion 11a2 of the outer tube main body 11, and is interposed between the upper cover 13 and the lower cover 12. An insulated space is formed. In this insulated space, the flat cable C constituting the power supply means and the slide portion 25 movably disposed on the lower cover 12 are accommodated.
In the present embodiment, the upper cover 13 is fixed to the outer tube main body 11 by a fixing method using ultrasonic welding. The upper cover 13 may be fixed using other welding or adhesive materials, or using a fastening member such as a screw.
The lower cover 12 may be fixed to the outer tube main body 11 by pressing the upper cover 13 by fixing the upper cover 13 to the outer tube main body 11, or the lower cover 12 may be directly attached to the outer tube main body 11. It may be fixed. The lower cover 12 may be fixed by ultrasonic welding, or may be performed using other welding, an adhesive material, or a fastening member such as a screw.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inner tube 20 mainly includes a cylindrical inner tube main body 21, a base member 22 as an insulating resin member, and a cover member 23 (extension tube cover). ing.
The inner pipe body 21 is integrally formed by injection molding or blow molding, and a ventilation path T2 communicating with the ventilation path T1 (see FIG. 4) of the outer pipe 10 is formed inside.
The inner pipe main body 21 has a trunk portion 21a and a second end portion 21c having a larger diameter than the trunk portion 21a.
A support column 21a1 for supporting the slide portion 25 provided on the base member 22 is provided on the upper surface of the body portion 21a. A cylindrical sliding member 26 is attached to one end portion 21a2 of the body portion 21a. This sliding member 26 contributes to smooth sliding between the outer tube 10 and the inner tube 20 by being attached to the one end portion 21a2 of the trunk portion 21a.
The second suction tool 6 and the first suction tool 7 can be attached to the other end portion 21c, and the base member 22 is placed and attached to the upper portion 21c1 of the other end portion 21c. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the base member 22 is attached to the upper portion 21 c 1 of the other end portion 21 c of the inner pipe main body 21. That is, the base member 22 is attached to the upper portion 21c1 of the other end portion 21c in the other end portion 21c of the inner pipe main body 21 that is a range that does not reach the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface. The base member 22 is formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS resin or polypropylene) containing an antistatic agent. That is, since the base member 22 attached to the inner tube main body 21 is formed including the antistatic agent, it has a necessary antistatic effect. As a result, the static electricity charged in the inner tube main body 21 is preferably discharged (prevented from charging) to the power supply means (the conductive wire W2 or the flat cable C) via the metal energization terminal 27 attached to the base member 22. be able to.

Here, as an example of the antistatic agent, when the base member 22 is formed of ABS resin as an electrostatic resin capable of dissipating generated static electricity, Toyolac TP10 (trade name; manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) is used. Can be used. In addition, when the base member 22 is molded from polypropylene, it is possible to include Pereztat 300 (trade name; manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries) in polypropylene. However, the present invention is not limited to these. Incidentally, in the base member 22 formed using the Toyolac TP10, the surface specific resistance value of the base member 22 is 1 × 10 ¹¹ Ω, and in the base member 22 formed containing the Pereztat 300, the base member 22 22 has a surface specific resistance value of 1 × 10 ¹² Ω. For example, the surface specific resistance value (1 × 10) of a general ABS resin (general-purpose resin) used for the cover member 23 (slide cover 28) that covers the base member 22 is used. 10 ¹⁴ Ω) in all cases. Thereby, the electrostatic potential of the inner tube 20 (the entire extension tube 5) can be suitably lowered.

On the upper surface of the base member 22, a swing support portion 22 a and an energization terminal support portion 22 b are formed.
In addition, an elongated plate-like slide portion 25 extending toward the one end portion along the body portion 21 a of the inner tube main body 21 is integrally provided at one end portion of the base member 22.

The operation button 24 is swingably supported by the swing support portion 22a. The operation button 24 is a button for attaching / detaching to / from the second suction tool 6 or the first suction tool 7, and has a hook portion 24 a for locking at the lower end of the other end. The hook portion 24a can be projected and retracted into the inner space of the other end portion 21c through an opening 21c2 formed in the upper portion 21c1 of the other end portion 21c from a hole portion (not shown) provided in the base member 22.
Such an operation button 24 is urged by a spring member (not shown) so that the hook portion 24a protrudes into the inner space of the other end portion 21c. Thereby, when the attachment part of the 2nd suction tool 6 and the 1st suction tool 7 is inserted from the inner space of the other end part 21c, the hook part 24a will show illustration of the 2nd suction tool 6 and the 1st suction tool 7. The second suction tool 6 and the first suction tool 7 are fixed to the inner tube 20 of the extension tube 5 by being locked by the locking portion that is not. When removing, the hook portion 24a is unlocked by pressing the button portion 24b of the operation button 24.

As shown in FIG. 7, a metal energization terminal 27 (conductive member) is attached to the energization terminal support portion 22 b of the base member 22. The energization terminal 27 has the same shape as the power supply terminal 4d (see FIG. 2) arranged on the operation tube 4, and has a terminal portion 27a and a connection portion 27b. The terminal portion 27a is formed by bending a flat plate-like member and has a pair of sandwiching pieces 27a1 and 27a1 facing each other. A pin-shaped male member (energization terminal) (not shown) provided on the suction tool 7 (see FIG. 1) or the like is inserted into and electrically connected to the sandwiching pieces 27a1 and 27a1. The outer side surface 27a2 of one clamping piece 27a1 is opposed to the inner surface 22c of the energization terminal support portion 22b on the upper surface of the base member 22, and is in surface contact with the inner surface 22c.
As a result, the static electricity charged in the inner pipe main body 21 flows suitably to the energization terminal 27 through the energization terminal support portion 22 b of the base member 22.
Since the surface specific resistance value of the base member 22 is, for example, 1 × 10 ¹¹ Ω as described above, it is possible to discharge static electricity, while the insulation between the inner tube main body 21 and the energizing terminal 27 is still excellent. It is secured.

  As shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C, one end C2 of the flat cable C is connected to one end of the slide portion 25 (see FIGS. 12B and 12C). The one end C2 and the energization terminal 27 are electrically connected by a conductive wire W2.

The cover member 23 is made of an insulating material such as polypropylene. As shown in FIG. 6, the cover member 23 is engaged with groove portions 21c3 and 21c3 provided in the upper portion 21c1 of the other end portion 21c of the inner pipe main body 21 so that the lower edges 23c and 23c are engaged with each other. And an insulated space is formed between the base member 22 and the base member 22.
In the present embodiment, the cover member 23 is fixed to the other end portion 21c of the inner pipe main body 21 by a fixing method using ultrasonic welding. The fixing of the cover member 23 may be performed using other welding, an adhesive, or the like, or may be performed using a fastening member such as a screw.
The base member 22 may be fixed to the inner tube main body 21 by pressing the cover member 23 by fixing the cover member 23 to the inner tube main body 21, or the base member 22 may be directly attached to the inner tube main body 21. It may be fixed. Fixing of the base member 22 may be performed by ultrasonic welding, or may be performed using other welding, an adhesive, or a fastening member such as a screw.

At the other end of the cover member 23, a slide cover 28 that is attached to the slide portion 25 of the base member 22 is integrally formed. The slide cover 28 forms a space for accommodating the conductive wire W <b> 2 between the slide portion 25.
Further, an opening 23 a into which the button portion 24 b of the operation button 24 is inserted is formed on the upper surface of the cover member 23.
The slide portion 25 and the slide cover 28 are integrated with each other through the insertion portion 151b of the support member 15 fixed to the other end portion 11c of the outer tube 10 as shown in FIG. It is inserted between a lower cover 12 and an upper cover 13 that are insulated from the main body 11.
As described above, the gap between the one end portion C2 (see FIG. 12B) of the flat cable C and the energizing terminal 27 (see FIG. 6) is established via the conductive wire W2 disposed on the slide portion 25. Electrically connected. Thereby, between the energizing terminals 17 and 17 (refer FIG. 4) and the energizing terminal 27 (refer FIG. 6) provided in the one end part of the outer tube 10 is insulated from the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21. Will be electrically connected.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the one end portion 21c5 of the other end portion 21c of the inner tube main body 21 is covered with a frame cover 29 so as to be removed by a static elimination member (discharge member) 29a (FIG. 8B ( c)) is provided. As shown in FIG. 8B, the charge removal member 29a has a substantially C shape when viewed from the axial direction. For example, the charge removal member 29a can remove charges in the air while performing corona discharge. Formed from.

The frame cover 29 has an annular shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube main body 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the slide cover 28, and is attached to one end 21c5 of the other end 21c. The annular portion 29b of the frame cover 29 is provided with three hooks 29d at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and these hooks 29d are engaged with a receiving portion 21c6 provided at one end 21c5. Is possible.
In addition, a plurality of notches 29e are formed in the annular portion 29b at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction. The static elimination member 29a communicates with the outside through the notch 29e, and discharge can be suitably performed through the notch 29e.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first suction tool 7 includes a lower cover 51 that forms a lower portion so as to cover the rotary cleaning body 30, and an upper body that includes an upper cover 52 that is attached to the upper portion of the lower cover 51. 50 and an inlet joint 55 attached to the rear of the inlet body 50 and having an air passage R1 formed therein.
The main parts of the lower cover 51 and the suction joint 55 are made of a light and hard material, for example, a synthetic resin material such as ABS resin. The upper cover 52 is formed by two-color molding as will be described later, but may be formed by combining parts.

  The first suction tool 7 (hereinafter simply referred to as “suction tool 7”) is provided with a suction joint 55 at the center position in the left-right (width) direction. The suction joint 55 is pivotally connected to the suction body 50 with one end (not shown) sandwiched between the lower cover 51 and the upper cover 52. The suction joint 55 includes a first connection pipe 55a that can be rotated (vertically) from a substantially horizontal state to a substantially vertical state with respect to the cleaning surface, and one end that rotates to the other end of the first connection pipe 55a. A second connection pipe 55b that is movably connected and rotatable in the left-right direction with respect to the mouthpiece main body 50 is provided. The extension pipe 5 and the second suction tool 6 are connected to the other end of the second connection pipe 55b. The suction joint 55 has a function of allowing the extension pipe 5 to be tilted in the left-right direction of the suction body 50 in a state where the extension pipe 5 is substantially perpendicular to the cleaning surface, for example. As a result, by twisting the operation tube 4 in either the left or right direction, the suction body 50 can be rotated approximately 90 degrees in the left or right direction, and the left and right direction of the suction body 50 can be cleaned in the front-rear direction. is there. Therefore, it is possible to clean by moving the suction tool 7 along the wall or by inserting the suction tool 7 into a narrow gap.

  In addition, a bumper 53 is interposed between the lower cover 51 and the upper cover 52 from the front part to the left and right sides of the suction body 50. The bumper 53 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer, and maintains the airtightness in the mouthpiece main body 50 during use, and the mouthpiece main body 50 is used for furniture when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter) is used. When it collides with, etc., it acts as a cushioning material that absorbs damage to the furniture and the like and shocks to the mouthpiece main body 50.

  The suction chamber 40 opened on the lower surface of the lower cover 51 has a substantially curved concave shape (see FIG. 14B). A suction passage 41 is formed in the rear of the suction chamber 40. The suction passage 41 communicates with the passage R <b> 1 of the suction joint 55.

Ribs 43 are formed on the inner surface of the suction chamber 40. Four ribs 43 are formed on each side, four on each side and eight on each side. Each rib 43 protrudes in a state in which a portion 43a on the downstream side in the rotation direction (see arrow X1 in FIG. 11) of the rotary cleaning body 30 is inclined toward the suction passage 41 side than a portion 43b on the upstream side in the rotation direction. Is formed.
When the rotary cleaning body 30 is fixed to the suction chamber 40, the tip of the brush 33 of the rotary cleaning body 30 comes into contact with the rib 43.

  Bearings 44 and 45 are formed at both ends of the suction chamber 40 to support the shafts at both ends of the rotary cleaning body 30. A bearing cover 44a (only one of them is shown) is attached to the bearings 44 and 45 for rotation. Both ends of the cleaning body 30 are supported.

In the present embodiment, the upper cover 52 is formed by two-color molding. As shown in FIG. 14B, in the upper cover 52, a primary molding portion 52a (first member) which is a rear portion of the upper cover 52 is molded with an ABS resin containing the same antistatic agent as described above. The secondary molding portion 52b (second member), which is the front portion of the upper cover 52, is integrally molded with a thermoplastic resin (for example, polypropylene or ABS resin) containing (including) carbon fibers. Therefore, the primary molding part 52a and the secondary molding part 52b are made of the same resin, but the secondary molding part 122 contains carbon fiber, so the secondary molding part 52b is replaced with the primary molding part 52a. On the other hand, it has strength and conductivity.
Moreover, since the primary molding part 52a contains the antistatic agent, the surface specific resistance value is lower than what was molded with normal ABS resin. Accordingly, the static electricity charged in the secondary molding portion 52b can be suitably discharged (prevented from charging) through the primary molding portion 52a.

  In addition, the part from the suction joint 55 to the primary molding part 52a is electrically connected, or the part from the suction joint 55 to the primary molding part 52a is molded with an ABS resin containing an antistatic agent. Thus, the static electricity charged in the extension tube 5 can be suitably discharged through the primary tube 52a through the inner tube 20 of the extension tube 5.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the switching part 52c between the primary molding part 52a and the secondary molding part 52b is configured such that the primary molding part 52a and the secondary molding part 52b overlap in the vertical direction of the suction tool 7. And the front side rather than this is comprised only by the secondary shaping | molding part 52b. That is, in the switching part 52c, the secondary molding part 52b and the primary molding part 52a having strength are integrally formed.
At the time of molding, for example, the material for the primary molded product is poured into the mold to form the primary molded portion 52a, and then the primary molded portion 52a is set in the mold for secondary molding, and the switching unit 52c The material for the secondary molded product is poured so as to overlap the primary molded portion 52a. Thereby, the secondary molding part 52b is integrally molded with the primary molding part 52a.
As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the secondary molding portion 52 b is provided with an intake port 52 e that opens depending on the magnitude of the negative pressure in the suction chamber 40.

The range where the primary molded portion 52a and the secondary molded portion 52b are provided to overlap each other is preferably as small as possible in order to reduce the weight. However, in consideration of their adhesion, the front-rear direction of the suction tool 7 In addition, an overlap margin of about 30 to 50% of the length of the secondary molding portion 52b is provided.
Here, as shown in FIG. 14B, in the front-rear direction of the suction tool 7, the front end of the switching portion 52c is between the axis of the rotary cleaning body 30 and the rear end of the rotary cleaning body 30, and the switching is performed. The rear end of the portion 52 c is located between the rear end of the curved concave suction chamber 40 and the rear end of the upper cover 52.

  With such a configuration, since the front side is configured only by the secondary molding portion 52b, the thickness can be reduced and the weight of the suction tool 7 can be reduced. Thereby, the operativity of the suction tool 7 improves. Moreover, the static electricity charged to the suction tool 7 can be suitably neutralized by the primary molding part 52a through the secondary molding part 52b.

As shown in FIG. 14B, the rotary cleaning body 30 includes a substantially cylindrical core 31, a groove portion 32 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the core 31, and a brush 33 attached to the groove portion 32. The brush 33 is configured to include a blade 34 made of a soft material and disposed between the brush 33.
As shown in FIG. 13, when the rotary cleaning body 30 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow X1, the tip of the brush 33 is in contact with the rib 43 (see FIG. 14B). Dust, lint, and the like sucked from are conveyed in the direction of the arrow X1 along the rotational direction of the rotary cleaning body 30. In this state, the sucked dust, lint, and the like hit the side surface of the rib 43 before being wound around the rotary cleaning body 30 and are conveyed toward the suction passage 41 corresponding to the inclination of the rib 43. And it is conveyed from the suction passage 41 to the cleaner body 2 side through the passage R1 of the suction joint 55, and is conveyed to a dust collecting portion (not shown) of the cleaner body 2.

Below, the effect acquired by the said structure is demonstrated.
(1) The base member 22 to be attached to the inner pipe main body 21 is formed including an antistatic agent, and the surface specific resistance value is a member formed of a general-purpose resin not including the antistatic agent (for example, Since the surface specific resistance value of the cover member 23) is smaller than the surface specific resistance value, a metal energization that attaches to the base member 22 static electricity (static electricity generated in the extension pipe 5 including the outer pipe main body 11) charged in the inner pipe main body 21. It can discharge suitably to the electric power feeding means (conductive wire W2 or flat cable C) via the terminal 27. FIG. Thereby, when the extension pipe 5 is held, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 that is not easily subjected to an electric shock due to static electricity and excellent in charge removal performance can be obtained.
(2) Since the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 of the extension pipe 5 are made of a thermoplastic resin containing carbon fiber, the extension pipe 5 as a whole can ensure rigidity while being reduced in weight. In addition, a part of the cleaner body 2 (for example, the lower case) may be molded with a thermoplastic resin containing carbon fiber to ensure rigidity while reducing the weight of the cleaner body 2.
(3) Since the energization terminal 27 of the power supply means is supported in direct contact with the energization terminal support portion 22 b of the base member 22, static electricity charged in the inner tube main body 21 is charged by the energization terminal support portion 22 b of the base member 22. It will flow suitably to the energization terminal 27 through. Thereby, static electricity can be suitably discharged to the power feeding means (conductive wire W2 or flat cable C). Thereby, when the extension pipe 5 is held, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 that is not easily subjected to an electric shock due to static electricity and excellent in charge removal performance can be obtained.
(4) One outer surface 27a2 of the terminal portion 27a of the energizing terminal 27 faces the inner surface 22c of the energizing terminal support portion 22b on the upper surface of the base member 22, and comes into surface contact with the inner surface 22c. As a result, the contact area is larger than when contact is made via pins or the like, and static electricity can be suitably discharged to the power feeding means (conductive wire W2 or flat cable C). Thereby, when the extension pipe 5 is held, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 that is not easily subjected to an electric shock due to static electricity and excellent in charge removal performance can be obtained.
(5) Since part or all of the operation tube 4 is made of ABS resin (or polypropylene) containing an antistatic agent, static electricity charged in the operation tube 4 is preferably released into the air (in the atmosphere). In addition, the static electricity charged in the extension tube 5 can be suitably discharged into the air. Therefore, the static electricity charged in the extension tube 5 can be discharged by both the power supply means and the operation tube 4, and the static electricity charged in the extension tube 5 can be discharged more quickly. Therefore, when the operation tube 4 is held, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 which is not easily subjected to an electric shock and is further excellent in charge removal performance can be obtained.
(6) Since one end 11b of the outer tube main body 11 is directly connected to the connection port 4g of the lower member 4b, the static electricity charged in the outer tube 10 (extension tube 5) is suitable for the operation tube 4 through the lower member 4b. Can be discharged. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 excellent in static electricity elimination can be obtained.
(7) Since one end portion 21c5 of the other end portion 21c of the inner tube main body 21 is provided with the charge removal member 29a so as to be covered with the frame cover 29, the extension tube 5 is charged through the charge removal member 29a. Static electricity can be suitably discharged. Thereby, the vacuum cleaner 1 excellent in static elimination property is obtained.
(8) Since the primary molded part 52a of the suction tool 7 contains an antistatic agent, the surface specific resistance value is lower than that formed by a normal ABS resin. The static electricity charged in 52b can be suitably discharged through the primary molding part 52a. Thereby, the vacuum cleaner 1 excellent in static elimination property is obtained.

Even when the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 are formed of a metal material (conductive material) such as an aluminum alloy, the power supply means through the cover member 22, the operation tube 4 and the like. Static electricity generated in the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 can be suitably discharged.
Further, by molding the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 by injection molding, these inner surfaces can be smoothed, so that static electricity generated by dust collision can be suppressed.
In the embodiment, the extension pipe 5 is exemplified by connecting the outer pipe 10 and the inner pipe 20, but the extension pipe 5 is not limited to this and may be constituted by one pipe body. .

In this embodiment, the base member 22 is formed of a thermoplastic resin containing an antistatic agent (for example, ABS resin, polypropylene). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower cover 12 of the outer tube 10 is antistatic. You may form with the thermoplastic resin containing an agent.
Also in this case, the surface specific resistance value of the lower cover 12 is smaller than the surface specific resistance value of a member (for example, the upper cover 13) formed of a general-purpose resin not containing an antistatic agent. Static electricity (static electricity generated by the extension pipe 5) can be suitably discharged to the power supply means via the metal energizing terminal 17 attached to the lower cover 12. Thereby, the vacuum cleaner 1 excellent in static elimination property is obtained.

Further, the cover 23 and the slide cover 28 of the inner tube 20 may be made of a resin containing an antistatic agent.
Also in this case, since the surface specific resistance value of the cover 23 and the slide cover 28 is, for example, 1 × 10 ¹¹ Ω, electrostatic discharge is possible, while insulation with the energizing terminal 27 is still secured satisfactorily. ing.

[2. Extension pipe]
Next, materials for forming the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 constituting the extension pipe 5 provided in the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described. As described above, the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 constituting the extension tube 5 are made of a thermoplastic resin containing carbon fibers at a predetermined ratio (hereinafter referred to as “carbon fiber-containing resin” as appropriate). Become. Hereinafter, the carbon fiber-containing resin will be described.

(Carbon fiber)
The carbon fiber contained in the carbon fiber-containing resin is obtained by carbonizing a fibrous material such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) resin, pitch or the like at high temperature (short fiber), and usually 90% or more thereof is made of carbon. Composed. The specific kind of such carbon fiber is not particularly limited, and may be produced under any conditions depending on the physical properties of the carbon fiber described later, or a commercially available product may be used. When producing carbon fiber, the production conditions, raw materials, etc. are not particularly limited, and any known production conditions and raw materials may be applied. Moreover, it is not always necessary to use one carbon fiber alone, and two or more carbon fibers may be used in any ratio and combination.

  The length of the carbon fiber contained in the carbon fiber-containing resin is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 mm or less. By using the carbon fiber having such a length, the carbon fiber to be contained in the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 can be more easily prepared, so that the manufacturing cost of the extension tube 5 can be reduced. . In addition, by including the carbon fiber having such a length in the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21, the carbon fibers are moderately contained in the carbon fiber-containing resin constituting the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21. As a result, it is possible to achieve good rigidity.

  The amount of carbon fiber contained in the carbon fiber-containing resin is 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less in the carbon fiber-containing resin. By including the carbon fiber content in this range, it is possible to improve the weight reduction and the rigidity increase of the extension pipe 5 in a balanced manner while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the extension pipe 5. Further, there is an advantage that the above-described upper cover 13 (see FIG. 4) and cover member 23 (see FIG. 6) can be easily ultrasonically welded to the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21, respectively. This point will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 15 is a graph obtained by the study by the present inventors. When the carbon fiber content is changed, the thickness of the plate-like carbon fiber-containing resin (outer diameter and inner diameter when the extension tube is formed) It is a graph conceptually showing the relationship between the bending strength of the plate-like carbon fiber-containing resin and the thickness. In FIG. 15, the description in the vicinity of each graph is the content (mass%) of carbon fiber (CF), and “PP” represents polypropylene (CF content 0 mass%) as a thermoplastic resin not containing carbon fiber. ing.

  Further, “86 MPa” on the vertical axis represents the bending strength of polypropylene having a thickness of 2 mm used in a conventional vacuum cleaner. That is, in a conventional extension pipe made of polypropylene having a thickness of 2 mm, the bending strength of the plate-like polypropylene when the extension pipe is formed into a plate shape is 86 MPa. Therefore, if the bending strength of the plate-like resin is 86 MPa or more, an extension tube having at least the same strength (rigidity) as that of the conventional case can be formed using the plate-like resin.

  Furthermore, “0.9 mm” on the horizontal axis is the minimum thickness that allows injection molding or blow molding. Therefore, when forming an extension pipe by performing injection molding or blow molding, it is extremely important to use a plate-like resin so that the extension pipe has a thickness of at least 0.9 mm.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the case of having the same thickness, the strength (required strength) of the carbon fiber-containing resin increases as the carbon fiber content in the carbon fiber-containing resin increases. However, carbon fibers are usually expensive, and when the carbon fiber content is increased, the production cost in the carbon fiber-containing resin increases (price increase). Furthermore, if the thickness of the extension tube is increased, the mass of the extension tube is increased accordingly (mass increase). Further, according to the study by the present inventors, the specific gravity of polypropylene is 0.92 g / cm ³ , and the specific gravity of polypropylene containing carbon fiber at a ratio of, for example, 10% by mass is 0.95 g / cm ³ . Therefore, since the specific gravity of polypropylene containing carbon fibers is larger than that of polypropylene not containing carbon fibers, simply increasing the content of carbon fibers increases the weight even at the same thickness.

  That is, even if the carbon fiber content is simply increased in order to improve the rigidity of the extension pipe 5 (more specifically, the outer pipe main body 11 and the inner pipe main body 21), the extension pipe 5 can be manufactured at low cost. It cannot be done and the weight increases. If the thickness of the extension pipe 5 is reduced when the weight is excessively heavy, molding described later becomes difficult, or the rigidity normally required for the extension pipe 5 cannot be secured. There is. Moreover, even if the carbon fiber content is reduced in order to manufacture the extension tube 5 at a low cost while keeping the same thickness, the strength normally required for the extension tube 5 may not be ensured. Furthermore, if the thickness of the extension tube 5 is increased in order to ensure such rigidity, the weight of the extension tube 5 may increase (mass increase).

  The graph shown in FIG. 15 has been studied and obtained by the present inventors in view of the above problems. That is, the extension pipe 5 that combines the reduction (reduction in cost) of manufacturing cost, the securing of the normally required strength, and the weight reduction has been conceived by the inventors' diligent study. . That is, for example, in a carbon fiber-containing resin containing carbon fibers at a rate of 10% by mass with polypropylene, the resin strength (86 MPa as the plate-like resin strength) that is a conventional extension tube is maintained. In this case, if the thickness exceeds about 2 mm, it becomes heavier than the resin constituting the conventional extension tube.

  Therefore, if the content ratio of the carbon fiber is 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, the thickness can be made thinner than the conventional (about 2 mm) while maintaining the same strength as the resin constituting the conventional extension pipe. As a result, the extension tube can be made lighter than before. In particular, since the extension pipe is cylindrical, it may be easily damaged compared to other members constituting the vacuum cleaner, and it is particularly excellent that it is lightweight (that is, thin) but has high rigidity. Effect. By applying the carbon-containing resin having such a carbon fiber content to the extension pipe, the difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter is 1 mm or more at the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the outer pipe main body 11 and the inner pipe main body 21. It is possible to manufacture an extension tube that is 4 mm or less and that the difference is 2 mm or less in the entire longitudinal direction, which is thinner, lighter, and more rigid than the conventional one.

  In addition, according to the extension pipe 5 made of carbon fiber-containing resin containing carbon fiber at a ratio of 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, the above-described upper cover 13 and cover member 23 are more securely fixed by ultrasonic welding. can do. More specifically, the more the carbon fiber content is increased, the more usually the ultrasonic welding tends to become difficult. However, according to the extension pipe 5 containing carbon fiber in the above proportion, there is also an effect that the upper cover 13 and the cover member 23 can be more reliably fixed while maintaining the low cost, light weight, and high rigidity. . Furthermore, by including the carbon fiber in the thermoplastic resin in the above ratio, there is also an advantage that the extension tube is particularly easily formed by injection molding or blow molding described later.

(Thermoplastic resin)
The extension pipe 5 is made of a thermoplastic resin containing the carbon fiber. In the description of the carbon fiber, polypropylene is given as a specific example of the thermoplastic resin. However, the thermoplastic resin contained in the extension pipe 5 is not limited to polypropylene. That is, as the thermoplastic resin for forming the extension pipe 5, any known thermoplastic resin (for example, ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin as described above) can be used, and the physical properties thereof are also extended pipe. As long as the function can be provided, it is arbitrary. However, as the thermoplastic resin for forming the extension pipe 5, it is preferable to use polypropylene as mentioned in the above specific example from the viewpoint of being lightweight and inexpensive and easy to manufacture and handle. Moreover, it is not always necessary to use one kind of thermoplastic resin alone, and two or more kinds may be used in any ratio and combination.

  Further, the extension pipe 5 may contain any component other than the carbon fiber and the thermoplastic resin.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 made of carbon fiber-containing resin, which constitute the extension pipe 5, will be described. In the present embodiment, the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 are each formed by injection molding or blow molding a carbon fiber-containing resin. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 will be described by dividing into two cases of injection molding and blow molding. However, although the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21 are basically different in shape, they can be manufactured in the same manner. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the inner tube main body 21 will be described below as an example. For simplification of illustration, the shape of the inner tube main body 21 in FIGS. 16 and 17 is a simple cylindrical shape.

(When performing injection molding)
When injection molding is performed using a carbon fiber-containing resin, the specific method is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, the injection molding method will be described in detail, but the injection molding method is not limited to the following contents. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, a mold (upper mold 100 and lower mold 101) capable of molding a cylindrical outer shape (that is, a cylindrical outer appearance), a core 102 capable of molding a cylindrical inner diameter, Are combined into one. Then, the heated molten carbon fiber-containing resin is injected (that is, extruded) through a through hole 102b penetrating the flange 102a formed integrally with the core 102 into a gap generated when these are combined. . Thereafter, the inner pipe main body 21 can be formed by cooling and removing the molds 100 and 101 and the core 102 and cutting the burrs as necessary.

  The temperatures of the molds 100 and 101 and the core 102 when injecting the molten carbon fiber-containing resin are arbitrary, but the carbon fiber-containing resin is solidified when the temperature is equal to or lower than the melting point of the carbon fiber-containing resin. The temperature is set higher than the melting point temperature. Moreover, since the injection load at the time of injection differs depending on the temperature and composition of the carbon fiber-containing resin, it cannot be generally stated, but can be set to, for example, about 200 MPa. As a specific apparatus for performing injection molding, for example, an injection molding machine described in JP 2010-131966 A, JP 2006-110905 A, or the like can be used.

  By molding the inner tube main body 21 by injection molding, the inner shape can be configured with high accuracy in addition to the outer shape of the inner tube main body 21, and the inner wall of the inner tube main body 21 can be made smooth. Therefore, when air flows through the inner pipe main body 21 when using the vacuum cleaner, the internal resistance of the air can be reduced, and the operating efficiency of the electric blower provided in the vacuum cleaner can be further improved. it can. Moreover, the turbulent flow of the air by the unevenness | corrugation of an inner wall can be suppressed, and the noise accompanying a turbulent flow can be suppressed more. Furthermore, since the entire extension tube can be integrally formed in a single process, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

(When performing blow molding)
When blow molding is performed using a carbon fiber-containing resin, the specific method is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, the blow molding method will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 17, but the blow molding method is not limited to the following contents.

  For example, molds 200 and 201 capable of forming a cylindrical outer shape shown in FIG. 17 are combined, and a parison 202 made of a carbon fiber-containing resin is extruded into the molds 200 and 201. Thereafter, high-pressure air is injected into the parison 202 and the parison 202 is pressed against the inner surfaces of the molds 200 and 201. Then, the inner pipe main body 21 can be formed by solidifying the parison 202 by cooling the molds 200 and 201 and cutting the burrs as necessary after removing the molds 200 and 201.

  The temperature of the carbon fiber-containing resin constituting the parison 201, the load when extruding the parison 201 to the inner surface of the mold 200, 201, the specific pressure of high-pressure air, etc. are not particularly limited, and any known blow molding method may be used. Apply. As a specific apparatus for performing blow molding, for example, a blow molding machine described in JP-A-11-277617 can be used.

  By forming the inner tube main body 21 by blow molding, the inner tube main body 21 can be formed without using the core, so that the manufacturing process such as drawing of the core can be simplified. Moreover, since the whole inner pipe main body 21 can be integrally shape | molded by one process, the simplification of a manufacturing process can be achieved also from this viewpoint.

  As described above, the outer tube body 11 and the inner tube body 21 can be manufactured at low cost, and are lightweight and highly rigid. That is, it is possible to improve the performance of the extension tube 5 that is normally attached to the vacuum cleaner as an accessory, and thus it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner with improved performance as a whole.

  Further, as described above, injection molding or blow molding can be easily performed even when a carbon fiber-containing resin is used. Therefore, there is an advantage that the extension tube 5 (more specifically, the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21) can be easily formed. Moreover, the upper cover 13 and the cover member 23 can be easily and firmly fixed to a thermoplastic resin containing carbon fibers by ultrasonic welding.

  In the vacuum cleaner 1, the carbon fiber-containing resin is applied to the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21, but such a carbon fiber-containing resin is used in addition to the outer tube main body 11 and the inner tube main body 21. Moreover, it is applicable to each member which comprises the vacuum cleaner 1, such as a wheel. Furthermore, as described above, the carbon fiber-containing resin may be applied to at least a part (that is, all or a part) of members constituting the cleaner body 2.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric vacuum cleaner 2 Vacuum cleaner main body 2b Electric blower 3 Hose part 5 Extension pipe 7 1st suction tool (suction tool)
10 Outer tube 11 Outer tube body 12 Lower cover (insulating resin member)
17 Current carrying terminal (conductive member)
13 Upper cover (cover member)
15 Support member 20 Inner tube 21 Inner tube body 22 Base member (insulating resin member)
23 Cover member (extension pipe cover)
27 Current carrying terminal (conductive member)
28 Slide cover (extension pipe cover)
29 Frame cover 29a Static elimination member 52a Primary molding part 52b Secondary molding part W2 Conductive wire (power supply means)
C Flat cable (power supply means)

Claims (5)

A suction tool, an extension pipe connected to the suction tool and made of a conductive material, an operation pipe and a hose part connected to the extension pipe, and a power supply means for energizing the suction tool from a vacuum cleaner body, Have
The extension pipe is insulated from the extension resin on the insulating resin member that is attached to a range that does not reach the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the longitudinal end portion of the extension pipe, and the extension pipe on the insulation resin member. A conductive member of the power supply means arranged
Of the members constituting the extension pipe, at least the insulating resin member is made of a material containing an antistatic agent, and compared to a member made of a general-purpose resin not containing an antistatic agent. A vacuum cleaner characterized by a low surface resistivity. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein
The extension pipe is made of a resin containing carbon fiber, and is a vacuum cleaner. In the vacuum cleaner of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
The conductive member of the power supply means includes a metal conductive portion,
The vacuum cleaner, wherein the conductive portion is in contact with the insulating resin member. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3,
The conductive portion includes a pin-shaped male member disposed at one end portion of the extension tube, and a female member disposed at the other end portion and having a plate-shaped portion,
The vacuum cleaner, wherein the plate-like portion of the female member is in contact with the insulating resin member. In the vacuum cleaner of Claim 3 or Claim 4,
The extension pipe includes an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and an end portion of the inner pipe is inserted into an end portion of the outer pipe so that an air passage between the outer pipe and the inner pipe is connected. And having a carbon fiber-containing resin including carbon fiber and thermoplastic resin over the entire length,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is in contact with the insulating resin member attached to the inner tube.

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