VACUUM CLEANER

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner comprises a vacuum cleaner body (10) in which at least a dust collecting chamber (13), an electric blower chamber (11) and an exhaust chamber (15) are formed integrally and an accomodating case in the form of a bag for accommodating the vacuum cleaner body (10) and attachments of the vacuum cleaner, and a suction opening (29) and an exhaust opening (27) are provided in the accommodating case which includes a body case accommodating at least the vacuum cleaner body (10) and acover case for covering an opening of the body case, with the result that a portable, compact vacuum cleaner is provided.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner in which a vacuum cleaner body and a set of attachments such as a hose and suction port members are accommodated in an accommodating case formed into the shape of a bag, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner which is capable of effecting a cleaning operation even if the accommodating case is closed, see GB-A-669 893. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART In a conventional vacuum cleaner in which a set of attachments for the cleaner can be accommodated, sufficient consideration has not been paid to a method of assembling a vacuum cleaner body, the productivity of component parts, and the handling features of the cleaner, although consideration has been paid to the accommodation of components, as described in Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. 44-25658. In the prior art described above, the arrangement is such that a parts accommodating section is installed on the vacuum cleaner body itself, so that there has been a drawback in that the structure of the vacuum cleaner is complicated. Specifically, since the arrangement is such that individual components that constitute an electric blower, a dust collecting section, an exhaust section, etc. are assembled directly onto the vacuum cleaner body and are secured to the same to assemble the overall unit, large vacuum cleaner bodies must be handled from an early stage of the assembly process. Furthermore, a very large number of stages are involved if the stage of installing the parts accommodating section is included. Therefore, there have been drawbacks in that the handling efficiency during the production process is deteriorated, the management of supply of parts is complicated, and since the process cannot be separated, a large assembly site is required (which causes the assembly line to become long) since the process cannot be separated. In addition, the vacuum cleaner body having the parts accommodating section has the function of a case for holding and protecting the accommodated parts. Accordingly, there have been additional drawbacks in that, since a considerable degree of strength is required, the thickness of the overall unit tends to be large, and the size of even unnecessary portions must be made large. Moreover, there has been another drawback in that, since the vacuum cleaner body also serves as an external cover portion for which design features must be taken into consideration, it is impossible to select its configuration freely due to restrictions in the conditions of the above-described strength and structure, so that its handling features as a vacuum cleaner must be sacrificed. In addition, since, as described above, the component parts are assembled directly onto the vacuum cleaner body, when a model change is effected into a type having a different external configuration (including cases where accommodated parts differ or the external configuration of the vacuum cleaner differs) or when an attempt is made to provide a plurality of models, it has been necessary to exclusively design the respective types of vacuum cleaner bodies, and it is not economically advantageous to repeat on each such occasion the design of an installing section for the electric blower, i.e., an electric component, and the design of a dust collecting section and an exhaust section for which much labor is required in the examination of noise and suction performance, and, in fact, it has not been possible to do so easily. Besides that, a plurality of other vacuum cleaner types has been proposed, fo example in GB-A-669 893, FR-A-1 365 162 or FR-A-1 419 314. The first of these publications describes a tank type vacuum cleaner constructed so as to be completely portable in one container. The suction fan and the dust-bag are permanently built into a part of the container, while the hose and a variety of attachments for the same are placed in another part of the container when not in use. The container has a discharge opening so arranged, that the hose can be attached to it when the cleaner is to be used as a blower. US-4,554,700 describes closer an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner canister. However, none of these citations is concerned with problems arising from assembling such a vacuum cleaner during manufacturing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner which facilitates assembly operations and provision of models having different external configurations, is capable of being made into a compact size, and is convenient when carried around, thereby overcoming the above-described drawbacks of the prior art. This object is accomplished with the features mentioned in claim 1. Dependent claims are directed on preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figs. 1 to 18 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a state in which a cover case is opened; Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a body case portion; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of essential portions; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a cover case portion; Fig. 6 is left-hand side elevational view; Fig. 7 is right-hand side elevational view; Fig. 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of seential portions; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the body case portion in a state which a suction hose is drawn out; Figs. 10 and 11 are vertical cross-sectional views of essential portions; Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of essential portions in the state in which the cover case is opened; Fig. 13 is a sketch drawing illustrating a state in which the vacuum cleaner is placed upright on a floor during use; Fig. 14 is a sketch drawing illustrating a state in which the vacuum cleaner is allowed to move on the floor during use; Fig. 15 is a sketch drawing illustrating a state in which the vacuum cleaner is suspended from the user's shoulder during use; Fig. 16 is a sketch drawing illustrating a state in which the vacuum cleaner is strapped to the user's back during use; Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the position of the center of gravity of a vacuum cleaner body; Fig. 18 is an overall exploded perspective view; Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating the vacuum cleaner in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of essential portions of the vacuum cleaner in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 21 is a perspective view schematically illustrating essential portions of the vacuum cleaner in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of essential portions of the vacuum cleaner in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a portable-type vacuum cleaner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which an accommodating case 1 is opened. Fig. 2 illustrates a state in which the accommodating case 2 is closed. The accommodating case 1 is formed into the shape of a bag and is constituted by a body case 3 and a cover case 4 which are openably connected to each other at one end of each of the surfaces which close together by means of a hinge 2 formed integrally therewith and made of a plastic or the like. Handle portions 5, 6 are formed on the body case 3 and the cover case 4 at the other ends of the surfaces thereof which close together that oppose the hinge 2. The handle portions 5, 6 are integrated in a closed state, as shown in Fig. 2, and forms an integrated handle 7. Reference numerals 8, 9 denote clamps which have a retaining function when the accommodating case 1 is closed. As shown in a cross-sectional view in Fig. 3, a vacuum cleaner body 10 is formed into a unit in which an electric blower chamber 11 for accommodating an electric blower 11a, a dust collecting chamber 13 for incorporating a dust collecting paper bag filter 12, a small-diameter exhaust pipe 14, and a box-like exhaust chamber 15 are integrally formed of a synthetic resin. A suction hose 16 has at one end thereof a swivel joint 17 which is rotatably and detachably fixed to the dust collecting chamber 13 and at the other end thereof a proximal joint 18. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is detachably fixed to the body case 3 by means of screws or the like (not shown). A plurality of castors 19, 19a that are rotary bodies are installed on an outer surface of the body case 3. The castors 19, 19a allow the accommodating case 1 to travel on the floor, and ball-shaped castors which do not cause any hindrance when the accommodating case 1 is carried are preferable. The inner surface of the accommodating case 1 on the side of the body case 3 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 50, 50a, and 50b which serve as holding portions for the attachments of the vacuum cleaner and allow the vacuum cleaner 10 and the attachments of the vacuum cleaner to be secured in place or accommodated detachably. Reference numerals 20, 21 denote extension pipes. Numeral 22 denotes a suction port member for use in tight spaces. A plurality of paper bag filters 23 for replacement are grouped together and accommodated in a space surrounded by an inner wall surface of the vacuum cleaner body 10, the exhaust pipe 14, and the exhaust chamber 15. A recess 24a serving as a holding portion for a suction port member 24 for the floor use and a pocket 26 serving as a holding portion for a power cord 25 and other small articles are provided on the inner surface of the vacuum cleaner body 10 on the side of the cover case 4 at a portion where a portion against which the vacuum cleaner body 10 abuts, as indicated by the dash-dot line in Fig. 5. A notch 27 for clamping a portion of the exhaust chamber 15 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 and a notch 29 serving as an opening for suction are provided between the plane of an opening 3a of the body case 3 and the plane of an opening 4a of the cover case 4. An openable cover 28 is provided at the notch 29. The cover 28 is supported by a hinge 30 provided on the cover case 4, opens and closes as indicated by the arrow of the dash-dot line shown in Fig. 8, and engages with an engaging projection 31 provided inside the cover case 4 to maintain an open state. The notch 27 is an opening for exhaust. A multiplicity of slits 15a communicating with the atmosphere are formed in the exhaust chamber 15 which fits with the notch 27. Fig. 9 illustrates a state in which the swivel joint 17 is rotated and the hose 16 is caused to project to outside the accommodating case 1. The accommodating case 1 is provided with a gourd-shaped recess 33, as shown in Fig. 6. When the power cord 32 is fitted with this recess 33 so as to be provisionally fixed, the power cord 32 does not become damaged by being clamped by the peripheral contact surfaces of the body case 3 and the cover case 4 when the accommodating case 1 is opened and closed. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view including the pocket 26 and the dust collecting chamber 13, and the paper bag filter 12 is supported by a projection 34 provided on the vacuum cleaner body 10 and a retaining spring 35. Reference numeral 36 denotes a dust collection cover for covering an opening provided in the dust collecting chamber 13. The arrangement is such that the plane of an opening 13a in the dust collecting chamber 13 is made substantially parallel with the plane of an opening 3a of the body case 3. The dust collection cover 36 is provided detachably at the opening 13a. Legs 37 are provided on the lower surface of the accommodating case 1 on the side of the hinge 2. As shown in Fig. 11, a flexible shoulder band 38 is accommodated in a bent form in a space between the body case 3 and the exhaust pipe 14. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the accommodating case 1 is opened. The accommodating case 1 can be opened about 180° by making use of the hinge 2 and the legs 37. In this state, it is possible to identify at first sight the positions at which the attachments of the vacuum cleaner are accommodated therein. In addition, since the accommodating case 1 is placed stably on a flat surface, such as a floor surface, the operation of removing the attachments from the accommodating case and storing the same therein can be facilitated. The suction hose 16 and the swivel joint 17 are arranged in the vicinity of the junction between the body case 3 and the cover case 4 which have substantially the same depths, i.e., in the vicinity of the center of the accommodating case 1. However, since the suction hose 16 and the swivel joint 17 are deformed under its own weight such as to be disposed along the side of the body case 3, if they are bent and accommodated along the configuration of the inner wall of the body case 3 during storage, it is possible to store them with their shape stably maintained even if the suction hose 16 has a tendency to expand. Thus, when the cover case 4 is closed, the suction hose 16 does not cause any hindrance such as to be caught between parts. Since a large and heavy component, such as the suction port member 24 for the floor use, is easily dislocated when an impact is applied thereto, that component can be held securely if an arrangement is provided as shown in Fig. 4 such that it is clamped with a recess 39 provided on the vacuum cleaner body 10. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 4, the suction port member 22 for use in tight spaces is adapted to engage with an accommodating recess 50b having a substantially semicircular cross section and formed on the inner side of the body case 3 between the vacuum cleaner body 10 incorporating the electric blower 11 and the body case 4 to make effective use of the spatial volume of the accommodating case 1. For this reason, and because it can be pressed from above by the vacuum cleaner body 10, the suction port member can be held securely. This arrangement is particularly effective when a part which is heavy, though small, is accommodated and held. Engaging portions 40, 41, 42, 43, 43a for installing the shoulder band 38 are formed in the accommodating case 1. The engaging portions 40, 41 are provided in the vicinity of opposite ends of an outer upper surface 1a of the accommodating case 1, while the engaging portion 42 is provided in a central portion of the outer upper surface 1a of the accommodating case 1. The engaging portions 43, 43a are provided in the vicinity of the opposite ends of an outer lower surface 1b of the accommodating case 1. As shown in Fig. 1, a switch case 44 is formed integrally with the dust collecting chamber 13. The switch case 44 incorporates a power switch 45 and an indicator 46 which indicates a state of loading of the paper bag filter 12 in response to the negative pressure in the dust collecting chamber 13. When the cover 28 is opened, the power switch 45 can be accessed through the notch 29 serving as an opening for suction, and the indicator 46 can be visually observed. In terms of the modes of the cleaning operation, those shown in Figs. 13 to 16 can be adopted. Namely, in the first mode shown in Fig. 13, the accommodating case 1 is placed upright on the floor surface by making use of the legs 37. In the second mode shown in Fig. 14, the accommodating case 1 is allowed to move on the floor surface by using the castors 19, 19a. In the third mode shown in Fig. 15, the accommodating case 1 is suspended from the user's shoulder by fixing the opposite ends of the shoulder band 38 to the engaging portions 40, 41 on the outer upper surface 1a of the accommodating case 1. In the fourth mode, the accommodating case 1 is strapped to the user's back by fixing the central portion of the shoulder band 38 to the engaging portion 42 provided in the center of the outer upper surface 1a of the accommodating case 1 and the opposite ends of the shoulder band 38 to the engaging portions 43, 43a on the outer lower surface 1b of the accommodating case. Since the vacuum cleaner body 10 is disposed such as to oppose an inside surface 4b of the cover case 4 at a close distance therefrom or abuts against the same, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is clamped between the inside surface 4b of the cover case 4 and in inside surface 3b of the body case 3. The thickness ℓ₁ of the body case 1 and that ℓ₂ of the cover case 4 are set to be substantially identical with each other. The suction hose 16 is installed in the dust collecting chamber 13 between the suction port member 24 and the pocket 26 provided on the inside surface 3b of the body case 3 on the one hand, and the extension pipes 20, 21 provided on the inside surface 4b of the cover case 4 on the other, such as to be rotatable. The total thickness of attachments of the vacuum cleaner such as the extension pipes 20, 21 provided on the inside surface 3b of the body case 3 and the attachments of the vacuum cleaner such as the suction port member 24 provided on the inside surface 4b of the cover case 4 is set to be substantially identical with or smaller than the thickness of the vacuum cleaner body 10. As shown in Fig. 10, the attachments of the vacuum cleaner are arranged parallel with the vacuum cleaner body 10 and in the state of three layers. The vacuum cleaner body 10 is disposed in the vicinity of the hinge 2 of the accommodating case 1 and is arranged such that, when used in the first, third, and fourth modes described above, the center of gravity of the accommodating case 1 as a whole is located at a lower portion of the accommodating case 1. The center of gravity G₁ of the vacuum cleaner body 10 in respect of the horizontal direction and the center of gravity G₂ of the accommodating case 1 in respect of the horizontal direction are set to substantially coincide with each other. The external dimensions of the exhaust pipe 14 are set such as to be smaller than one half that of the electric blower chamber 11. As shown in Fig. 12, at least the dust collecting chamber 13 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is made to project upwardly from the plane of the opening 3a of the body case 3, and the dust collection cover 36 is located at its projecting portion. In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the suction hose 16 can be drawn out to outside the accommodating case 1 without the suction hose 16 being detached from the dust collecting chamber 13. However, as shown in Fig. 19 which illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement may be provided such that a suction opening 290 is provided in an accommodating case 100 such as to oppose a suction opening 130a of a dust collecting chamber 130, and a suction hose 160 is detached from a dust collecting chamber 13 or attached thereto through this opening 290. Furthermore, as illustrated in a third embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 20, an arrangement may be provided such that a suction opening 291 and an exhaust opening 270 are arranged in the same plane in an accommodating case 101. In this case, a vacuum cleaner body 102 is arranged such that the dust collecting chamber 130 is disposed above an electric blower chamber 110, and an exhaust pipe 140 and an exhaust chamber 150 are disposed on the side of the electric blower chamber 110. The attachments of the vacuum cleaner such as a suction hose 161 are disposed on the side of the vacuum cleaner body 102. A fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 21 illustrates an example in which the plane of an opening 131a in the dust collecting chamber 131 is set such as to be orthogonal to the plane of an opening 300a in a body case 300. In this case, a swivel joint 170 for the suction hose and a switch case 440 are provided in the dust collecting cover 360. The dust collecting cover 360 is arranged to be openable as indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 21. A fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 22 illustrates a case in which a body case 301 and a cover case 401 are formed into a double-wall structure by blow moulding. Both the body case 301 and the cover case 401 are formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene and are arranged to be openable by means of a plastic hinge. Air layers 301a, 401a are formed inside the body case 301 and the cover case 401 and communicate with the atmosphere through air holes 301b, 401b provided in the body case 301 and the cover case 401, respectively. In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention described above, production control can be effected separately to assemble the vacuum cleaner body 10 and fabricate the accommodating case 1 and various attachments of the vacuum cleaner, and the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the attachments of the vacuum cleaner can be accommodated in the accommodating case 1 in the final stage of process. Accordingly, substantial rationalization can be attained in terms of the production control and economic efficiency through such as production of the respective parts in production sections that are most suitable and through a reduction in the number of articles to be handled in the final stage of production. Furthermore, since the quality of the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the attachments of the vacuum cleaner can be confirmed before they are assembled onto the accommodating case, there are great advantages in terms of quality control including performance tests. In addition, since the vacuum cleaner body 10 is protected by the accommodating case 1, the vacuum cleaner 10 can be made thin and lightweight, and since it is not a cover portion in which design features must be taken into consideration, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary portions of the space and make effective use of the space. Moreover, since the vacuum cleaner body 10 is made into a unit as an assembly, as for the configuration of the accommodating case, it is possible to determine the design of its external configuration without detailed portions thereof being restricted due to installation of the vacuum cleaner body 10 therein, so that its configuration can be selected with a large degree of freedom. Also, as for development of other types of model in which the accommodating case 1 is provided with different configurations, it suffices if the vacuum cleaner body 10 is accommodated as a common unit, so that only the accommodating unit 1 need to be designed. Hence, labor required in development can be alleviated substantially.

Claims: A vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner body (10; 102) with a dust collecting chamber (13; 130; 131), an electric blower chamber (11; 110), and an exhaust chamber (15; 150), a plurality of attachments, and an accommodating case (1; 100; 101) in the form of a bag for accommodating said vacuum cleaner body (10; 102) and said attachments, said accommodating case having a suction opening (29; 290; 291) communicating with the dust collecting chamber (13; 130; 131) and an exhaust opening (27; 270) communicating with the exhaust chamber (15; 150), said accommodating case including a body case (3; 300; 301) for accommodating at least said vacuum cleaner body and a cover case (4; 401) for accommodating said attachments of the vacuum cleaner and adapted to close an opening (3a) of said body case, characterized in that the vacuum cleaner body (10) is made integrally within an assembly forming a vacuum cleaner unit and secured to an inside surface (36) of said body case such thata part of said exhaust chamber (15, 150) is fitted with said exhaust opening (27, 270). A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that said vacuum cleaner body is secured such as to be clamped between an inside surface (3b) of said body case and an inside surface (4b) of said cover case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness (ℓ₁) of said body case is set to be substantially identical with the thickness (ℓ₂) of said cover case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that said vacuum cleaner body is disposed detachably on an inside surface (3b) of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that said accommodating case (1; 100; 101) accommodates attachments of the vacuum cleaner, that holding portions (50, 50a, 50b) for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner are formed on an inside surface (3b) of said body case in a portion other than the portion where said vacuum cleaner body is installed, and a holding portion (24a) for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner is formed on an inside surface (4b) of said cover case in a portion other than the portion which said vacuum cleaner body opposes, and that a suction hose (16; 160; 161) is installed between said holding portions (50, 50a, 50b; 24a) for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that extension pipes (20, 21) and a suction port member (22) for use in tight spaces are disposed in said holding portions for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner in said body case, while a suction port member (24) for the floor use, a power cord (25), and a shoulder band (38) are disposed in said holding portion for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner in said cover case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that a part of said attachment of the vacuum cleaner such as a suction port member (22) for use in tight spaces is secured such as to be clamped between said vacuum cleaner body and said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that a recess (39) with which a part of a heavy attachment of the vacuum cleaner such as a suction port member (24) for the floor use engages is formed on an outer wall of said electric blower of said vauum cleaner body. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that a part of a heavy attachment of the vacuum cleaner such as a suction port member (24) for the floor use is installed on the side of said cover case, and elongated attachments of the vacuum cleaner such as extension pipes (20, 21) are installed on the side of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that said suction hose is installed between said holding portions for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner in a state in which said suction hose is fixed rotatably to said dust collecting chamber. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, characterized in that said suction hose can be installed in such a manner as to be drawn out from a suction opening (29, 290, 291) provided in said accommodating case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that said holding portion for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner in said cover case is a pocket (26) for accommodating a power cord (25) and a shoulder band (38). A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that the thickness of said attachments of the vacuum cleaner disposed in said holding portions for said attachments of the vacuum cleaner is set such as to be substantially identical with or smaller than that of said vacuum cleaner body, and said vacuum cleaner body is arranged parallel with said attachments of the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the accommodating case accommodates attachments of the vacuum cleaner, that the thickness of said attachments of the vacuum cleaner is substantially identical with or smaller than that of said vacuum cleaner body, and that said vacuum cleaner body is arranged parallel with said attachments of the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that said cover case is openably secured to said body case by means of a hinge (21), and that said vacuum cleaner body is disposed in the vicinity of said hinge of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that either small wheels (19, 19a) or a shoulder band (38) or both thereof are disposed on the side of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that three rotary bodies serving as said small wheels are provided on an outside surface of said body case, and two or more engaging portions (40, 41, 42, 43, 44) for installing a shoulder band (38) are provided on an outer upper surface of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that said engaging portions for installing a shoulder band (38) are provided in a central portion of an upper outer surface (1a) of said body case and in the vicinity of opposite ends of said outer upper surface of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that the center of gravity (G₂) of said accommodating case in respect of the horizontal direction and the center of gravity (G₁) of said vacuum cleaner in respect of the horizontal direction substantially coincide with each other. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that said electrical blower chamber and said exhaust chamber in said vacuum cleaner body are communicated with each other by means of an exhaust pipe (14; 140), and that the external dimensions of said exhaust pipe are set to be smaller than those of said electric blower chamber. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that said dust collecting chamber of said vacuum cleaner body projects upwardly from said opening of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 21, characterized in that an opening (13a; 131a) is provided in said dust collecting chamber, that a dust collection cover (36; 360) for covering said opening is provided, and that the plane of said opening (13a; 131a) in said dust collecting chamber is substantially parallel with the plane of an opening (3a, 300a) of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 21, characterized in that a dust collecting chamber (13; 130; 131) is provided openably at an opening (13a; 131a) of said dust collecting chamber of said vacuum cleaner body, and that the direction of opening of said dust collecting cover is set to be identical as that of opening of said cover case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, characterized in that an opening (13a; 131a) is provided in said dust collecting chamber, that a dust collecting cover (36, 360) for covering an opening is provided, and that the plane of said opening (13a; 131a) in said dust collection chamber is substantially orthogonal to the plane of an opening (3a; 300a) of said body case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 24, characterized in that a suction hose (16, 160; 161) is provided detachably on said dust collection cover or said dust collecting chamber. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 24, characterized in that a suction hose (16, 160; 161) is provided rotatably on said dust collection cover or said dust collecting chamber. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 26, characterized in that said suction hose is provided in such a manner as to be drawn out through a suction opening (290; 291) provided in said accommodating case. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a suction opening (29; 290; 291) serving as an opening for drawing out a suction hose (16; 160; 161) for communicating with said dust collecting chamber as well as an exhaust opening (27; 270) communicating with said exhaust chamber are formed in said accommodating case, that said cover case is openably provided to said body case by means of a hinge (2), and both said body case and said cover case are made of a synthetic resin and formed into a double-wall structure.

Inventors: ISHII, YOSHITARO, JYORAKU, FUMIO, SATOO, SUSUMU, SUNAGAWA, MASAO
Applicants: HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A47L9
IPC codes: A47L9, A47L5