Suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner

Abstract: A suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner includes: a suction tool body which is connected to the vacuum cleaner body and has a suction inflow passage therein for conducting a suction air stream from a suction port, to the vacuum cleaner body; and a movable brush which is provided inside the suction inflow passage formed in the suction tool body and is driven by a driver device. In this tool, the movable brush sways and reciprocates back and forth about a support shaft, perpendicular to the direction of the suction inflow stream. Alternatively, the tool may have a linear motor which operates so as to reciprocate a rod which is linked at one end of it with oscillatory plate pivoted inside the suction tool. Further, this movable brush may be formed of a unit which is composed of a sweeping member having a pair of front and rear sweeping parts and a moving brushing part embedded in between, wherein the front sweeping part is shorter than the rear sweeping part.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to improvement of the suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner. (2) Description of the Prior Art An example of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner, disclosed in for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei 3 No. 41,634 is a configuration which as shown in Figs.1 and 2 includes: inside a suction tool body 33 made up of upper and lower casings 31 and 32 being butted to each other, a suction inflow passage 36 for conducting the suction air stream from a suction port 34 which is an opening in the lower surface of suction tool body 33, to the vacuum cleaner (not shown) via a joint tube 35; a motor 37; and a rotary brush 40 which is driven to rotate about a support shaft 39 through a belt 38 by the driving force of the motor 37. Since, in the above suction tool, rotary brush 40 rotates about support shaft 39, a space which is greater than the dimension of the radius of rotary brush 40 was needed around the brush inside suction tool body 33, thus increasing the size of the suction tool. There was also a risk of danger in that if the hand touched the rotary brush 40, the fingers might be drawn into the tool by the brush. Further, there was an area which the bristles of rotary brush 40 could not reach, and the tool had a poor scrubbing effect of dust and dirt in this area. US-A-4430768 discloses a suction cleaner having a brush and a drive for reciprocating the brush about an axis. GB-A-2028639 discloses a vacuum cleaner with a brush that is reciprocated from side to side along its axis. EP-A-630604 discloses a cleaner with a bristle strip that can be moved up and down, in and out of engagement with the surface being cleaned. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has been devised in view of the above problems and the desirability to provide a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner which can be itself compact and safer. It is also desirable to provide a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner which is improved in scrubbing efficiency of dust and dirt. The present invention provides a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner as set out in claim 1. As a result of the feature that the movable brush is reciprocated back and forth about the support shaft, the space required for the oscillation is reduced as compared to the rotational space that was occupied by a rotary brush. In accordance with the movable brush that sways and reciprocates, there is no risk of danger that the fingers might be drawing in. The present invention also provides a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner as set out in claim 2. As a result of the feature that the movable brush is linearly reciprocated left and right, the space required for the oscillation is reduced as compared to the rotational space that was occupied by a rotary brush. In accordance with the movable brush that sways and reciprocates, there is no risk of danger that the fingers might be drawing in. As a result of the characterising features of the invention, depending upon the type of the material on the floor, such as tatami mat (straw matting), carpet, rug, etc., either brush bristles or blade can be selectively used by detaching a single movable brush and reversing it upside down. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 3, the dust and dirt in front of the rotary brush, that is, in the area which cannot be reached by the conventional rotary brush, can be scrubbed by the second brush. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 4, the dust and dirt at the side, either left or right, of the rotary brush, that is, in the area which cannot be reached by the conventional rotary brush, can be scrubbed by the second brush. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 6, the movable brush is swayed by a linear motor or solenoid to perform cleaning of the floor surface. As a result, the provision of only a movable brush which simply oscillates is so effective that it is possible to make the suction tool compact as compared to the conventional brush which was rotated. Still more, the driver device is constituted of a linear motor or solenoid, needing fewer parts, thus a further reduction in size can be expected. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 7, the oscillator plate is reciprocated through the rod by the operation of the linear motor, so that a movable brush provided at the lower end of the oscillator plate performs cleaning. Accordingly, only a movable brush is simply made to oscillate, so that it is possible to make the suction tool compact as compared to the conventional brush which was rotated. Still more, since the driver device is constituted of a linear motor, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the oscillator plate using only a rod. This configuration needs very few parts, so that a further reduction in size can be expected. A solenoid may be used in place of the linear motor, so that it is possible to produce a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner with a few parts. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 8, the oscillator plate is reciprocated through the rod by the operation of the linear motor or solenoid, so that the movable brush and sweeping member provided at the lower end of the oscillator plate performs cleaning. Accordingly, the provision of only a movable brush is simply made to oscillate, so that it is possible to make the suction tool compact as compared to the conventional brush which was rotated. Still more, since the driver device is constituted of a linear motor or solenoid, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the oscillator plate using only a rod. This configuration needs very few parts, so that a further reduction in size can be expected. Further, the provision of a sweeping member enables lint and fluff adhering to carpet etc., to be scrubbed efficiently, thus enhancing cleaning efficiency. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 10, the movable brush unit is swayed and reciprocated by the operation of the driver device so that the movable brush and sweeping member of the movable brush unit performs cleaning. Accordingly, the provision of only a movable brush which simply oscillates is so effective that it is possible to make the suction tool compact as compared to the conventional brush which was rotated. Still more, since the front sweeping part is formed shorter than the rear sweeping part, the structure enables lint and fluff adhering to carpet etc., to be scrubbed efficiently, thus enhancing cleaning efficiency. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 11, during the operation of the movable brush unit, cleaning is performed whilst vibrations are absorbed by the anti-vibration mechanism. Thus, if the movable brush unit vibrates, the vibration can be alleviated so as not to be transmitted to the whole part of the suction tool. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner having good handling, in which the vibration will not spread to the hands of the user. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 12, since the movable brush is impregnated with liquid paraffin, this feature can offer a simple floor polishing effect for the flooring. Since the embodiment of claim 13 further has an angular motion regulatory mechanism for regulating the reciprocating motion of the movable brush about the pivotal shaft, the vibration of the movable brush as well as deformation of the unit base frame is inhibited during the swaying and reciprocating motion, thus making it possible to obtain a reliable sweeping effect of the movable brush. In accordance with the embodiment of claim 14, since a leaf spring is interposed between the rotary member and the immovable member, braking force is generated through the leaf spring within the range in which the rotary member is movable. As a result, it is possible to reliably inhibit the vibration of the movable brushing unit by an inexpensive method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top sectional view showing the interior of a conventional suction tool; Fig.2 is a side sectional view showing the interior of a conventional suction tool; Fig.3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a suction tool of the first embodiment; Fig.4 is a vertical sectional side view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the first embodiment; Fig.5 is a vertical sectional front view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the first embodiment; Fig.6 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a suction tool of the second embodiment; Fig.7 is a vertical sectional front view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the second embodiment; Fig.8 is a vertical sectional front view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the third embodiment; Fig.9 is a sectional view showing a movable brush of the third embodiment; Fig.10 is a vertical sectional front view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the fourth embodiment; Fig.11 is plan view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the fifth embodiment; Fig.12 is a vertical sectional front view showing essential parts of a suction tool of the fifth embodiment; Fig.13 is a top sectional view of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the sixth embodiment; Fig.14 is a sectional side view of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the sixth embodiment; Fig.15 is an overall view showing a driver mechanism and a movable brush unit in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner of the sixth embodiment ; Fig.16 is an overall view showing a driver mechanism in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner of the seventh embodiment. Fig.17 is an overall sectional side view showing a movable brush unit in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner of the eighth embodiment; Fig.18 is an overall perspective view showing essential components of a movable brush unit in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner of the eighth embodiment; Fig.19 is an overall sectional side view showing a moving unit in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner of the ninth embodiment ; Fig.20 is a top sectional view showing a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment; Fig.21 is a sectional front view showing a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment; Fig.22 is a bottom view showing a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment; Fig.23 is a sectional side view showing the central portion of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment; Fig.24 is a sectional side view showing essential components of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment-; Fig.25 is an overall sectional view showing essential components of a movable brush in a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the tenth embodiment; Fig.26 is a perspective view showing essential components of a movable brush unit; Fig.27 is a top sectional view showing essential components of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the eleventh embodiment; Fig.28 is a sectional front view taken across a plane 400-401 in Fig.27; Fig.29 is a view of the components of Fig.27 in the direction shown by an arrow 500; Fig.30 is a structural view showing essential components of a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the twelfth embodiment. A number of embodiments are described below. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments are not necessarily embodiments of the invention. First embodiment Figs. 3 through 5 show the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing the essential parts thereof; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional front view showing the essential parts thereof. In each figure, 101 designates a suction tool body in which upper and lower casings 101a and 101b abut each other with a bumper 113 in between. Attached to the rear opening which is located between butted surfaces of upper and lower casings 101a and 101b is a suction pipe 103. Suction tool body 101 and a vacuum cleaner body (not shown) are connected by this suction pipe 103 and an unillustrated hose. Lower casing 101b has an elongated left to right lateral suction port 102 opening on its bottom face. The interior enclosed by upper and lower casings 101a and 101b is partitioned by partitioning walls 124a and 124b into a suction inflow passage 125 for conducting suction air stream 103a from suction port 102 to suction pipe 103, and a power transmission room 126. Inside suction tool body 101, a motor 104 is assembled in power transmission room 126 and a movable brush 105 which is driven by motor 104 is incorporated in suction inflow passage 125 above suction port 102. Movable brush 105 is composed of an elongated left to right lateral base 105a and a number of bristles 105b embedded in the undersurface of the base, and is assembled so that the bristles 105b face suction port 102. A support shaft 108 is provided above movable brush 105 and is laterally supported in parallel with movable brush 105, by a pair of bearings 110, 110 which are disposed at the left and right ends. Bearings 110 are fitted and fixed to partitioning wall 124a. A pair of support plates 109 are integrally fastened at both, the left and right ends of base 105a of movable brush 105. The upper end portions of the left and right support plates 109 fit on, and are supported by, support shaft 108 so that the brush can freely sway back and forth. A rotatable shaft 112 in parallel with support shaft 108 is fitted and supported at the lower portion of bearing 110, having a pulley 111 fixedly attached at the end facing power transmission room 126. A belt 114 is wound between this pulley 111 and another pulley 127 on the shaft of motor 104. Shaft 112 has a rotary piece 106 at the other end thereof facing suction inflow passage 125. This rotary piece is fixedly attached so as to proximally face the outer end face of support plate 109. In this way, the rotation of motor 104 is transmitted via pulley 127, belt 114, pulley 111 and shaft 112 to rotary piece 106. Rotary piece 106 has an offset pin 106a projecting from the end face thereof facing the outer surface of support plate 109, at a position set by a distance 'x' off the rotary axis thereof, while support plate 109 has a linear cam slot 109a which extends vertically, on the outer end face thereof so that the front end of offset pin 106 is slidably engaged into cam slot 109a. As a result, when offset pin 106a is rotated, it reciprocates inside cam slot 109a so that support plate 109 sways back and forth about support shaft 108 in the direction perpendicular to the inflow direction of suction air stream 103a, and therefore movable brush 105 integrated with support plate 109 moves back and forth in the same direction. In the above arrangement, when the vacuum cleaner body (not shown) is activated, dirt and dust is sucked together with the suction air stream from suction port 102 of suction tool 101, and is conducted to the dust collecting chamber in the vacuum cleaner body through suction inflow passage 125, suction pipe 103 and the hose (not shown). At this moment, movable brush 105 sways and reciprocates back and forth about support shaft 108 by the operation of motor 104, scrubbing dirt and dust which had settled on the floor surface, so that the thus scrubbed dust and dirt is sucked together with the suction air inflow. In this operation, movable brush 105 which sways back and forth about rotary shaft 108 needs less space as compared to the rotational space that was occupied by the conventional rotary brush 40 shown in Figs.1 and 2. Accordingly, it is possible to make suction tool body 101 compact proportionally. Further, this configuration, unlike rotary brush 40, has no risk that the fingers might be drawn into the tool, thus ensuring safer handling. In this case, in the limited narrow space inside suction tool body 101, it is possible to reliably and simply change the rotation of motor 104 into the oscillatory motion of movable brush 105 in the back and forth direction, by the combination of offset pin 106a of rotary piece 106 and support plate 109 having cam slot 109a engaged with this offset pin 106a. However, other mechanisms can also be used to change the rotation of motor 104 into the oscillatory motion of movable brush 105. Second embodiment Figs.6 and 7 show the second embodiment. In this embodiment, a pair of support plates 109 are integrally fastened at the left and right ends of a movable brush 105, and their upper end portions fit on a support shaft 108 so that the support plates can move in the lateral direction along support shaft 108. A rotary piece 106 has a slanted cam surface 106b on the end face thereof facing the outer end face of one support plate 109, while a projection 109b is formed from the outer end surface of support plate 109 and the front end of projection 109b is abutted against slanted cam surface 106b. An elastic member 107 such as a coil spring, etc., is interposed between the other support plate 109 and a bearing 110 opposite it so as to constantly urge movable brush 105 toward the rotary piece 106 side. Thus, the abutment between the front end of projection 109b and slanted cam surface 106b is maintained. Accordingly, during one rotation of rotary shaft 106, movable brush 105 linearly reciprocates along support shaft 108 in the left and right directions perpendicular to the inflow direction of the suction air stream 103a by the differential distance between the top and bottom of slanted cam surface 106b. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, since movable brush 105 linearly reciprocates in the left and right directions, therefore, as in the case of the first embodiment, this configuration needs less space of motion as compared to the rotational space that was occupied by the conventional rotary brush 40. Accordingly, it is possible to make suction tool body 101 compact proportionally. Further, this configuration, unlike rotary brush 40, has no risk that the fingers might be drawn into the tool, thus ensuring safer handling. In this case, in the limited narrow space inside suction tool body 101, it is possible to definitely and simply change the rotation of motor 104 into the linear motion of movable brush 105, by the combination of slanted cam surface 106b of rotary piece 106 and support plate 109 having projection 109b abutted against this slanted cam surface 106b. However, other mechanisms can also be used to change the rotation of motor 104 into the linear motion of movable brush 105. Third embodiment Figs. 8 and 9 show the third embodiment, which is an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a movable brush 105 has an elongated left to right lateral base 105a: a number of bristles 105b are embedded in one, either top or bottom, side of the base 105a; and a blade 116 is embedded on the other side. Movable brush 105 is detachably mounted to, and supported by, a pair of left and right support plates 109, 109. Specifically, a tie rod 118 with a lever 118a is provided at the power transmission side of base 105a of movable brush 105, with an elastic member 117 of a coil spring etc., interposed in between, so that the tie rod can move to the left or right. A socket 109c is provided on the end face of the support plate 109 facing the tie rod so that tie rod 118 can fit thereinto and be drawn out therefrom. Base 105a has a projection 105c at the other end; the front end of this projection 105c is detachably inserted into another socket 109c which is formed on the end face of the other support plate 109 facing the projection. Thus, movable brush 105 is connectedly supported between the left and right support plates 109, 109 by means of projection 105c and tie rod 118. When lever 118a is shifted so that tide rod 118 moves toward the center in the lateral direction against the elastic force of elastic member 117, the end of tie rod 118 is drawn out from socket 109c. So, movable brush 105 can be taken out from the position between left and right support plates 109 and 109. Other configurations, such as the mechanism for activating motor 104 to cause movable brush 105 to sway and reciprocate back and forth about support shaft 108, and the like, are the same as those in the first embodiment. In accordance with this embodiment, depending upon the type of the material on the floor, such as tatami mat (straw matting), carpet, rug, etc., either brush bristles 105b or blade 116 can be selectively used for convenience by detaching the movable brush 105 and reversing it upside down relative to the left and right support plates 109, 109. In this connection, this movable brush 105 of the above embodiment can also be applied to the second embodiment where movable brush 105 reciprocates left and right along the support shaft 108. Fourth embodiment Fig.10 shows the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a rotary brush 119 which is driven by a motor 104 is mounted inside a suction tool body 101, and a second brush 121 is provided in parallel to, and in front of, rotary brush 119. Second brush 121 is supported on a support shaft 122 provided in front of, and in parallel to rotary brush 119 so that it can sway back and forth. Fixed at one of the ends of rotary brush 119 with respect to the lateral direction is a cam 120 having a projection 120a on part of the peripheral side. Second brush 121 has an upward-extending portion above support shaft 122. This portion has a projection 121a, against which the peripheral side of cam 120 is abutted. Further, an elastic member 123 of a coil spring etc., is interposed between the upper-extending portion of second brush 121 and upper casing 101a so that the elastic force from elastic member 123 constantly presses and urges the upper-extending portion of second brush 121 toward rotary brush 119, thus abutting the end of projection 121a against the peripheral surface of cam 120. Accordingly, during one revolution of rotary brush 119, second brush 121 oscillationally swings back and forth about support shaft 122 due to the variation of the height of cam 120 because of projection 120a. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. It was impossible for the conventional rotary brush 40 shown in Figs.1 and 2 to collect the dust and dirt which had settled on the floor surface in front of the brush. In contrast, in accordance with this embodiment, dust and dirt located in front of rotary brush 119 can be scrubbed by second brush 121, thus improving the dust collecting efficiency. Further, motor 104 for driving rotary brush 119 can also be used to drive the second brush 121. In this case, in the limited narrow space inside suction tool body 101, it is possible to definitely and simply transmit the rotation of rotary brush 119 to the oscillatory motion of second brush 121 in the back and forth direction, by the combination of cam 120 and projection 121a which abuts cam 120. However, other mechanisms can also be used to change the rotation of rotary brush 119 into the oscillatory motion of second brush 121. Fifth embodiment Figs.11 and 12 show the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, a rotary brush 119 which is driven by a motor 104 is mounted inside a suction tool body 101, and a second brush 121 is provided at the left or right side of rotary brush 119. A support shaft 122 for the second brush is arranged perpendicular to rotary brush 119 on the left or right side thereof. The second brush 121 fits on, and is supported by, support shaft 122 so that it can swing left and right about the shaft 122. A slanted cam surface 119a is provided at the left or right end of rotary brush 119. Second brush 121 has an upward-extending portion above support shaft 122 of second brush 121. This portion has a projection 121a, which abuts slanted cam surface 119a. Further, an elastic member 123 of a coil spring etc., is interposed between the upper-extending portion of second brush 121 and lower casing 101b so that the elastic force from elastic member 123 constantly presses and urges the upper-extending portion of second brush 121 toward rotary brush 119, thus abutting the end of projection 121a against the slanted cam surface 119a. Accordingly, during one revolution of rotary brush 119, second brush 121 sways and reciprocates left and right about support shaft 122 by the differential distance between the top and bottom of slanted cam surface 119a. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. It was impossible for the conventional rotary brush 40 shown in Figs.1 and 2 to collect the dust and dirt which had settled on the floor surface at the side of the brush. In contrast, in accordance with this embodiment, dust and dirt located at the side of rotary brush 119 can be scrubbed by second brush 121, thus improving the dust collecting efficiency. Further, motor 104 for driving rotary brush 119 can also be used to drive the second brush 121. In this case, in the limited narrow space inside suction tool body 101, it is possible to definitely and simply change the rotation of rotary brush 119 into the left to right oscillatory motion of second brush 121, by the combination of slanted cam surface 119a and projection 121a which abuts the slanted cam surface 119a. However, other mechanisms can also be used to change the rotation of rotary brush 119 into the oscillatory motion of second brush 121. Sixth embodiment Figs.13 and 14 show the sixth embodiment. Fig.13 is a sectional top view showing a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner; and Fig.14 is a sectional side view of it. In these figures, 201 designates a suction tool body. Attached to the rear opening of the body is a suction pipe 203. Suction tool body 201 and a vacuum cleaner body (not shown) are connected by this suction pipe 203 and an unillustrated hose. The suction tool body 201 has an elongated left to right lateral suction port 202 opening on its bottom face. The interior enclosed is partitioned by partitioning walls 206a and 206b into a suction inflow passage 207 for conducting suction air stream 203a from suction port 202 to suction pipe 203, and a power transmission room 208. Inside suction tool body 201, a driver device 204 is provided in power transmission room 208, and a movable brush unit 205 which is driven by driver device 204 is incorporated in suction inflow passage 207 above suction port 202. The above driver device 204 is made up of a linear motor as schematically shown in Fig.15, including: a coil 204a of a donut shape affixed on the wall surface of power transmission room 208; a rod 204b fitted through coil 204a; and an annular ferromagnetic body (a magnet) 204c which fits on rod 204b at a position corresponding to coil 204a. Rod 204b is supported by thrust bearings 204d and 204d at both ends thereof. When coil 204a is supplied with an a.c. current, the rod reciprocates left and right in the drawing, due to the magnetic field generated with ferromagnetic body 204c. In movable brush unit 205, 205a designates an oscillator plate made up of a rectangular sheet, and it has a pair of support shafts 205c, 205c projecting from the side faces at both ends. These shafts are supported by support plates 209, 209 affixed on the wall surfaces at both sides of suction tool body 201, so that the oscillator plate 205a is arranged in the lateral direction inside suction port 202. This oscillator plate 205a is linked with the front end of the aforementioned rod 204b, at a point above support shaft 205c with a linking pin 205b, so that the plate can sway and reciprocate about support shaft 205c following the reciprocating motion of rod 204b. Seventh embodiment Fig.16 is another variation of the above driver device 204. In this embodiment, a rod 204b is fitted through a solenoid 204e. This rod 204b is linked at its one end with the aforementioned oscillator plate 205a; the other side of the rod projecting out from solenoid 204e with a loose coil spring 204g interposed between solenoid 204e and a catch 204f fastened at the distal end of the rod. In the configurations of the sixth and seventh embodiments, when the vacuum cleaner body (not shown) is activated, dirt and dust is sucked together with the suction air stream from suction port 202 of suction tool 201, and is conducted to the dust collecting chamber in the vacuum cleaner body through suction inflow passage 207, suction pipe 203 and the hose (not shown). As soon as the vacuum cleaner is activated, coil 204a of the linear motor in the sixth embodiment is supplied with a.c. current, rod 204b slides back and forth to oscillationally drive crank (oscillator plate) 205a, thus a movable brush 205e scrubs dust and dirt which had settled on the floor surface. The dirt and dust scrubbed are sucked together with the aforementioned suction air stream. In the case where driver device 204 is in the form of the seventh embodiment shown in Fig.16, when solenoid 204e is intermittently energized, rod 204b moves back and forth with the help of the elastic force of coil spring 204g, thus movable brush 205e can scrub dust and dirt which had settled on the floor surface. In the above way, movable brush 205e which sways back and forth needs less space as compared to the rotational space that was occupied by the conventional rotary brush 40 shown in Fig.1. Accordingly, it is possible to make suction tool body 201 compact proportionally. Further, this configuration, unlike rotary brush 40, has no risk that the fingers might be drawn into the tool, thus ensuring safer handling. Moreover, conventional vacuum cleaners needed a lot of parts such as pulleys, belts etc., for transmitting the rotation of motor 37 to the rotary brush in order to operate rotary brush 40. In contrast, the structure of the invention, needs fewer parts to perform the same operation. Eighth embodiment Next, another embodiment of movable brush unit 205 will be described. In Figs.17 and 18, a base 205d has a sweeping member 205f fitted to and fixed on the undersurface thereof. Sweeping member 205f is a molding of rubber, including a base part 205g having engaging ribs 205h, 205h extending along the length of the upper side thereof, and sweeping parts 205i and 205j which extend downward on both the front and rear side from the underside thereof. Base part 205g has a movable brush 205e in which bristle bundles are planted at regular intervals along the length. Front sweeping part 205i has sweeper ribs 205k formed entirely across the front-side surface at the end portion thereof. In this embodiment, as apparent from the drawings, the dimensions of front and rear sweeping parts 205i, 205j, and the bristle bundle of movable brush 205e can be seen: front sweeping part 205i is set longer by 'a' than part 205j; and the bristle bundle of movable brush 205e is set longer by 'b' than part 205i. The former dimensional difference 'a' contributes to the improvement in scrubbing efficiency of lint and fluff, while the latter dimensional difference 'b' contributes to the prevention of damage to the floor surface when the floor is made up of flooring. Ninth embodiment Fig.19 is a further embodiment of movable brush unit 205. In the embodiment shown in Fig.17, movable brush 205e is formed of bristles, but in this embodiment, it is made from a porous material such as sponge, felt etc. Further, in this case, elastic branches 205L which each have a hemispherical knob 205m at the tip thereof are arranged at regular intervals on the front side of front-side sweeping part 205i. In the above configuration of movable brush unit 205, when the movable brush 205e of the eighth embodiment shown in Fig.17 is used to clean the floor surface, only movable brush 205e comes in contact with the floor surface whilst movable brush 205e sways together with crank 205a moved by driver device 204. Therefore, the front and rear sweeping parts 205i and 205j will not damage the floor. When this unit is used for cleaning carpet etc., front sweeping part 205i scrubs lint and fluff whilst the front sweeping part 205i sways, improving the cleaning efficiency. When movable brush 205e of the ninth embodiment shown in Fig.19 is used, hemispherical knobs 205m of elastic branches 205L can scrub dust and dirt from the carpet etc., in an efficient manner. Tenth embodiment Figs.20, 21, 22 and 23 show a suction tool of the tenth embodiment. Fig.20 is a top sectional view of the suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner; Fig.21 is its sectional front view; Fig.22 is its bottom view; and Fig.23 is its sectional side view. Fig.24 is a sectional side view showing essential components thereof. In these figures, 301 designates a suction tool body in which upper and lower casings 301a and 301b are integrally formed with a bumper 301c as a shock absorber in between. Attached to the rear opening of upper casing 301a is a suction pipe 303. Suction tool body 301 and a vacuum cleaner body (not shown) are connected by this suction pipe 303 and an unillustrated hose. Suction tool body 301 has an elongated left to right lateral suction port 302 opening on its bottom face. The interior of the body is partitioned by partitioning walls 301d and 301e into a suction inflow passage 307 for conducting suction air stream 303a from suction port 302 to suction pipe 303, and a power transmission room 308. Inside suction tool body 301, a driver device 304 is provided in power transmission room 308, and a movable brush unit 305 which is operated by driver device 304 is arranged in suction port 302. The driver device 304 is made up of a motor or turbine, and a driver pulley 306a is attached to a rotary shaft 304a. A driven pulley, designated at 306b, is attached to a rotary shaft 306c which is set so as to rotate between partitioning wall 301e and lower casing 301b, and is adapted to be rotated through a belt 309. The above movable brush unit 305 is composed of a unit base frame 305a extending along the suction portion 302, and a movable-brush assembly 305b. Unit base frame 305a has arms 305c, 305c which are formed upright at both ends thereof and is formed with pivot shafts 310 and 311, respectively. These shafts 310 and 311 pivots on bearings 312 and 313 provided on the supporting walls inside upper casing 301a, so that the unit is able to sway back and forth inside suction port 302. As shown in Figs.25 and 26, the aforementioned movable-brush assembly 305b is composed of a sweeping member 305d and movable brush 305e which is impregnated with liquid paraffin. Sweeping member 305d is a molding of rubber, including a base part 305f able to fit unit base frame 305a, and sweeping parts 305g and 305h which extend downward in parallel to one another with a gap S therebetween, on both, the front and rear side from the lower side of base part 305f. The lengths of sweeping parts 305g and 305h are made different. Further, engaging grooves 305i for engagement with base frame 305a are formed on the sides of base part 305f, along the length thereof. The above front and rear sweeping parts 305g and 305h have sweeper ribs 305j and 305k, formed at their lower side faces. Embedded in the gap S between the sweeping parts are a number of bundles of bristles forming movable brush 305e, at regular intervals along the length. In this embodiment, as apparent from the drawings, the dimensions of front and rear sweeping parts 305g, 305h, and the bristle bundle of movable brush 305e can be seen: rear sweeping part 305h is set longer by 'a' than front sweeping part 305g; and the bristle bundle of movable brush 305e is set longer by 'b' than rear sweeping part 305h. The former dimensional difference 'a' contributes to the improvement in scrubbing efficiency of lint and fluff, while the latter dimensional difference 'b' contributes to the prevention of damage to the floor surface when the floor is made up of flooring. Returning to Figs.20 to 24, in power transmission room 308, 312 designates an oscillator plate of an inverted U-shape. This oscillator plate is fixed to the front end of pivot shaft 310, and engages an offset link 306e affixed to an offset pin 306d provided on driven pulley 306b, so that the plate can oscillate in accordance with the rotation of offset link 306e. In the arrangement described above, when the vacuum cleaner body is activated, dirt and dust is sucked together with the suction air stream 303a from suction port 302 of suction tool 301, and is conducted to the dust collecting chamber in the vacuum cleaner body through suction inflow passage 307, suction pipe 303 and the hose. At the same time, when driver device 304 is activated during the operation of the vacuum cleaner body, the driver force from driver device 304 is transmitted by way of driver pulley 306a and belt 309 to driven pulley 306b, whereby the rotation of pulley 306b is transmitted to oscillator plate 312 through offset pin 306d and link 306e. As a result, oscillator plate 312 sways, and this oscillatory motion is transmitted to movable brush unit 305, thus the movable brush unit 305 sways back and forth, whereby movable brush 305e scrubs dust and dirt which had settled on the floor surface. The thus scrubbed dust and dirt is sucked together with suction air stream 308a into the vacuum cleaner body. Eleventh embodiment Figs.27 through 29 show an example of a mechanism for preventing vibration of the above movable brush unit 305. In this anti-vibration mechanism shown in these figures, in place of arm 305c of base unit 305a, arm plate 313 whose upper end is fixed to pivot shaft 311 is provided at the end of base unit 305a. An oscillatory cam 314 of a semi-circular shape is formed at half the height of arm plate 313, so that the arm plate is mounted on, and supported by, an anti-vibration plate 315 via the oscillatory cam. This anti-vibration plate 315, as shown in Fig.29, has a pair of legs 315b, 315b, which are connected to each other by a supporting plate 315a whose top surface constitutes a supporting surface 315c of an arc shape for the smooth sliding of the aforementioned oscillatory cam 314. Provided beneath supporting plate 315a is an anti-vibration coil 316. In this arrangement, when arm plate 313 swings together with movable brush unit 305, oscillatory cam 314 reciprocates along supporting surface 315c, while anti-vibration coil 316 prevents movable brush unit 305 from vibrating. The thus configured anti-vibration mechanism is provided for both ends of movable brush unit 305. Twelfth embodiment Since the movable brush unit is driven by motor on only one side, this geometry inevitably causes the pivot shaft at the other side to vibrate (oscillate back and forth). Fig.30 shows an embodiment in which an angular motion regulatory mechanism for regulating the aforementioned vibration is provided. This angular motion regulatory mechanism is provided in place of the mechanism shown in Figs.28 and 29, for example. In Fig.30, a rotary arm (rotational member) 380 is fixed to pivot shaft 311 of the movable brush. Designated at 381 is a fixed arm (immovable member), which rotatably supports pivot shaft 311. This fixed arm 381 is fixed to lower casing 301b. Fig.30(a) is a view of rotary arm 380 from the left; and Fig.30(c) is a view of fixed arm 381 from the right. Fixed arm 381 has a through hole 382 of an elliptical section formed therein. A pin 383 of rotary arm 380 is inserted into this through hole 382. Accordingly, when pivot shaft 311 rotates, the rotation is limited to the range in which pin 383 can move within through hole 382. As a result, the rotation of pivot shaft 311 is regulated. In Fig.30(c), pin 383 only moves between the position indicated by a solid line 383a and the position indicated by a broken line 383b, with an angular variation of about 16°. Through hole 382 is formed by a pipe-like portion 384. This pipe-like portion 384 is arranged so that a lower portion thereof abuts a leaf spring 385. Leaf spring 385 is attached to rotary arm 380, and has a projecting portion in the middle part thereof, as shown in Fig.30(a). When pivot shaft 311 rotates, the projecting portion strongly abuts pipe-like portion 384, thereby rotary arm 380 receives strong friction from fixed arm 381. This serves as a braking function, thus presenting an additional anti-vibration effect.

Claims: A suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction tool body (101) which is for connection to the vacuum cleaner body and has a suction inflow passage (125) therein for conducting a suction air stream from a suction port opening (102) on the bottom face of the suction tool body (101) to the vacuum cleaner body; and a movable brush (105) which is provided in the middle of the suction inflow passage (125) inside the suction tool body (101) and is driven by a driver device comprising a motor (104) or turbine; wherein the movable brush (105) is arranged so as to sway and reciprocate back and forth about a support shaft (108), which is perpendicular to the suction air stream, when driven, characterised in that the movable brush (105) is detachable and has bristles (105b) arranged along one side of the brush (105) and a blade (116) on the opposite side of the brush (105). A suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction tool body (101) which is for connection to the vacuum cleaner body and has a suction inflow passage (125) therein for conducting a suction air stream from a suction port opening (102) on the bottom face of the suction tool body (101) to the vacuum cleaner body; and a movable brush (105) which is provided in the middle of the suction inflow passage (125) inside the suction tool body (101) and is driven by a driver device comprising a motor (104) or turbine; wherein the movable brush (105) is arranged so as to reciprocate linearly from side to side relative to the inflow direction of the suction air stream, characterised in that the movable brush (105) is detachable and has bristles (105b) arranged along one side of the brush (105) and a blade (116) on the opposite side of the brush (105). A suction tool as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rotary brush (119) provided in the suction inflow passage (125) inside the suction tool body (101), the rotary brush (119) being driven by the driver device, wherein the reciprocating brush (121) is arranged in front of the rotary brush. A suction tool as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a rotary brush (119) provided in the suction inflow passage (125) inside the suction tool body (101), the rotary brush (119) being driven by the driver device, wherein the linearly reciprocating brush (121) is arranged to the side of the rotary brush (119). A suction tool as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the rotation of the rotary brush (119) is used to drive the reciprocating brush (121). A suction tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the driver device (204) comprises a linear motor or solenoid (204e). A suction tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the movable brush (205e) is attached to an oscillator plate (205a) which is pivotably mounted inside the suction tool body (201) so as to sway back and forth along the inflow direction of the suction air stream, the tool further comprising: a linear motor or solenoid (204e) as part of the driver device (204) which operates to reciprocate a rod (204b) which is linked at one end with the oscillator plate (205a), thereby reciprocating the brush (205e). A suction tool as claimed in claim 7 further comprising: a sweeping member (205f) made from rubber attached to the oscillator plate in front of the brush. A suction tool as claimed in claim 1 comprising a movable brush unit composed of a base frame unit (305a) extending along the suction port (302) and a movable brush assembly (305b) attached to the base frame unit (305a), the movable brush assembly being composed of a sweeping member (305d) which is made from a rubber material and includes a base part (305f) which fits into the unit base frame (305a), a pair of front and rear sweeping parts (305g, 305h) which extend downward parallel to one another with gaps in between, the movable brush (305e) being embedded in the gaps. A suction tool as claimed in claim 9 wherein the front sweeping part (305g) is shorter than the rear sweeping part (305h). A suction tool as claimed in claim 10 wherein the movable brush unit has a pivot shaft (310, 311) supported through an anti-vibration mechanism (315). A suction tool as claimed in claim 9 wherein the movable brush (305e) is impregnated with liquid paraffin. A suction tool as claimed in claim 9 or claim 12 further comprising an angular motion regulatory mechanism (381) for regulating the reciprocating motion of the movable brush (305e) about the pivot shaft of the movable brush. A suction tool as claimed in claim 13 wherein the angular motion regulatory mechanism (381) has a structure such that a rotary member (386) fixed to a pivot shaft of the movable brush is angularly restricted by an immovable member (381), and a leaf spring (385) is interposed between the rotary member (386) and the immovable member (381) so that braking force is generated through the leaf spring (385) within the range in which the rotary member (386) is movable.

Inventors: HATO SHIGENORI, ISHII KIYOSHI, MIYOSHI NORIAKI, OHNISHI YUJI, YAGI MIKIO, HATO, SHIGENORI, ISHII, KIYOSHI, MIYOSHI, NORIAKI, OHNISHI, YUJI, YAGI, MIKIO
Applicants: SHARP KK, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A47L9
IPC codes: A47L9