Patent Publication Number: US-2020281432-A1

Title: Upright vacuum cleaner

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
     The present application claims priority to Japanese patent application serial number 2019-039484 filed on Mar. 5, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated fully herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to a battery-powered (cordless) upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector). 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0201754 discloses a battery-powered upright vacuum cleaner that comprises: a main-body part (main or upper casing), which can be maintained in the state in which stands upright (perpendicular) relative to the floor surface and generates a suction force; a cleaner head (head part), which sucks in air using the suction force generated by the main-body part; and a connecting pipe, which fluidly connects the main-body part and the cleaner head. Because the batteries are disposed in the cleaner head of this known upright vacuum cleaner, the weight of the manually-operable portion (main-body part) is reduced and ease of operation is better than an embodiment in which the batteries are disposed in or on the main-body part. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, because the above-described known upright vacuum cleaner provides the batteries at the center of the cleaner head in the left-right direction, it is necessary to divert a suction passageway, through which the suctioned air flows to the main-body-part, to a side portion of the cleaner head. Therefore, in this known embodiment, the suction force in the cleaner head may become unequal on the left and right sides, and there is a possibility that a sufficient suction force will not be ensured. 
     It is therefore one non-limiting object of the present teachings to disclose techniques for designing an upright vacuum cleaner such that ease of operation is improved and/or a sufficient suction force can be ensured. 
     According to one non-limiting aspect of the present teachings, an upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector) may include a main-body part (main or upper casing) that includes a coupling pipe, a dust-collection chamber fluidly connected to the coupling pipe, a motor chamber connected to the dust-collection chamber and in which a fan and a motor are housed, and an exhaust port through which air is exhausted from the motor chamber. The vacuum cleaner is configured/adapted to be maintained in the state in which the main-body part stands upright relative to a floor surface. The vacuum cleaner may further comprise: a cleaner head (head part), which is pivotably and fluidly connected to the main-body part and suctions air when a suction force is generated by the fan and motor; a suction passageway (tube), which is disposed inside the cleaner head, is rectilinear (straight) and passes through a central portion of the cleaner head in plan view, and through which suctioned air flows toward the main-body part; and one or more batteries (battery pack(s), battery cartridge(s)), which is/are disposed at a location or locations within the cleaner head that is/are spaced apart (outward) from the suction passageway in plan view. Such an upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector) is easier to use than the above-described known vacuum cleaner and ensures a sufficient suction force owing to the rational design of the airflow pathways. 
     Additional aspects, objects, embodiments and advantages of the present teachings will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in view of the appended drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an oblique view that shows an upright vacuum cleaner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present teachings. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the upright vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the upright vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the upright vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view that shows one exemplary example of a representative main-body part (main casing) according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is an oblique view of the main-body part. 
         FIG. 7  is an oblique view of the main-body part. 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view of the main-body part. 
         FIG. 9  is an oblique view that shows the first embodiment with a cover member in an open state. 
         FIG. 10  is an oblique view that shows an enlargement of a portion of a cleaning head housing. 
         FIG. 11  is an oblique view that shows batteries mounted in a cleaner head. 
         FIG. 12  is a plan view of the batteries mounted in the cleaner head. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of an upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector) according to the present teachings will be explained below, based on the drawings. It is noted that the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. In addition, structural elements in the embodiments below include those that can be easily substituted by a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same. 
       FIGS. 1-4  show one exemplary example of an upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector)  100  according to the present teachings, in which  FIG. 1  is an oblique view,  FIG. 2  is a plan view,  FIG. 3  is a bottom view, and  FIG. 4  is a side view. The upright vacuum cleaner  100  shown in  FIGS. 1-4  comprises a main-body part  10 , a cleaner head (head part)  20 , and a connecting pipe  30 . 
     The upright vacuum cleaner  100  can be maintained (pivoted) such that the main-body part (main or upper casing)  10  stands upright (vertical or perpendicular) relative to the floor surface. When not in use, the upright vacuum cleaner  100  can be stored with the main-body part  10  standing upright. In addition, when in use, the main-body part  10  is tiltable (pivotable) relative to the floor surface (i.e. relative to the cleaner head  20 ). Thus, by moving the main-body part  10  while the cleaner head  20  is tilted (inclined) relative to the main-body part  10 , the cleaner head  20  can be moved easily across the floor surface. It is noted that, in embodiments in which suctioning (vacuum cleaning) is to be performed directly via the connecting pipe  30  (i.e. not via the cleaner head  20 ) and an attachment (accessory), such as a brush, nozzle, etc., is connected to the connecting pipe  30 , e.g., via a flexible hose, the suctioning also can be performed while the main-body part  10  stands upright relative to the floor surface. In the following, the configuration will be described in the state in which the main-body part  10  is in its upright position relative to the cleaner head  20  and the floor surface. 
     In the following, an exemplary case will be described in which dust, debris, etc. is collected (e.g., suctioned) from a floor surface that is parallel to the horizontal plane. The direction perpendicular to the floor surface is defined as the up-down direction, the direction leading away from the floor surface is defined as “up,” and the direction leading toward the floor surface is defined as “down.” In addition, the directions parallel to the floor surface are defined as the front-rear direction (a first direction) and the left-right direction (a second direction). When the main-body part  10  stands upright, the direction in which the cleaner head  20  protrudes from the main-body part  10  is defined as “front,” and the direction opposite that of “front” is defined as “rear.” In addition, when looking toward the “front,” leftward is defined as “left,” and rightward is defined as “right.” 
     The main-body part (main casing)  10  comprises a housing  11  and an open/close cover  12 . The housing  11  has, for example, a rectangular-box shape and is oriented such that the longitudinal (longer) direction of the housing  11  extends in the up-down direction. A lower end of the housing  11  is pivotably coupled to the cleaner head  20  via a coupling part (hinge)  17 . The coupling part  17  comprises a shaft that extends in the left-right direction and pivotably supports the housing  11  relative to the cleaner head  20 . By pivoting about the coupling part  17 , the tilt angle of the housing  11  is adjustable between the state in which the main-body part  10  stands upright relative to the floor surface (see  FIG. 4 ) and the state in which the main-body part  10  is parallel to the floor surface. 
     A motor chamber  13  and a dust-collection chamber  14  are defined within the housing  11 .  FIGS. 5-8  show one exemplary example of the interior of the main-body part  10 , in which  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  are oblique views, and  FIG. 8  is a plan view. It is noted that  FIG. 5  shows a configuration along a cross-section taken along line A-A in  FIG. 8 . In addition,  FIG. 6  shows the state in which the open/close cover  12  in  FIG. 1  has been removed.  FIG. 7  shows the state in which, starting from the state shown in  FIG. 6 , a filter  14   f , which is described below, has been removed. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the motor chamber  13  is disposed on (defined in) a lower side (portion) of the interior of the housing  11 . The motor chamber  13  fluidly communicates with a passageway (tube)  11   a  via an opening  13   a . The passageway  11   a  is disposed on the right side of the housing  11  and extends in the up-down direction. The motor chamber  13  contains an electric motor  13   m  and a suction fan  13   f . More specifically, the suction fan  13   f  is disposed between the electric motor  13   m  and the opening  13   a . A suction force is generated when the electric motor  13   m  rotates the suction fan  13   f . Air suctioned by this suction force is exhausted externally via (through), for example, an exhaust port  18  of the housing  11 . 
     The dust-collection chamber  14  is disposed on (defined in) an upper side (portion) of the interior of the housing  11 . The open/close cover  12  can be moved to open and close the dust-collection chamber  14 . A dust-collection pack (not shown), which is configured to store foreign matter suctioned by the cleaner head  20 , is mountable in (and preferably removable from) the dust-collection chamber  14 . The dust-collection pack may comprise a flexible (e.g., paper) bag or a rigid plastic bin, such as a cyclone dust separator. The dust-collection chamber  14  fluidly communicates with the above-mentioned passageway  11   a  via an opening  14   a . The opening  14   a  is formed in a right-side surface of the dust-collection chamber  14 . The filter  14   f  is provided such that it is mountable on (in) the opening  14   a  and is removable therefrom. The filter  14   f  collects fine dust that was not collected by (in) the dust-collection pack. The passageway  11   a  fluidly communicates with the motor chamber  13  via the opening  13   a . A coupling pipe  15 , which fluidly communicates with the connecting pipe  30 , is provided on (in) an upper part of the dust-collection chamber  14 . The dust-collection chamber  14  fluidly communicates with the connecting pipe  30  via the coupling pipe  15 . 
     A handle  16  is provided on an upper part of the housing  11  and is graspable by a user to move the upright vacuum cleaner  100 . A manual operation switch (not shown) is provided on the handle  16  and is preferably positioned so that it is manually operable with the same hand that is grasping the handle  16 . The manual operation switch is an electronic switch that is configured/adapted to process various manual operations for the upright vacuum cleaner  100 . For example, the manual operation switch may have a DRIVE (ON) switch and a STOP (OFF) switch, or may be simply operable to change between ON (connected) state and an OFF (disconnected) state. 
     The cleaner head  20  comprises a cleaner head housing  21  and two or more (rear) wheels or castors  22 . The cleaner head housing  21  is movable along the floor surface while the cleaner head housing  21  is placed on the floor surface. The cleaner head housing  21  comprises a suction opening  23 , a suction passageway (tube)  24 , two battery-mounting parts  26 , and a cover  25 . 
     The suction opening  23  has a rectangular shape (see  FIG. 3 ) and extends along a front portion of a bottom surface  21   a  of the head housing  21 . The suction opening  23  is disposed such that its center in the left-right direction coincides with, for example, the center of the head housing  21  in the left-right direction. A rotary brush  23   a  is disposed in the suction opening  23 . The rotary brush  23   a  is rotatable about a central axis, which is parallel to the left-right direction. By rotating the rotary brush  23   a , foreign matter, such as dust, that has adhered to a portion of the floor, such as a carpet, may be dislodged more effectively so that such foreign matter can be suctioned more easily. 
     The suction passageway  24  directs air, which has been sucked in via the suction opening  23 , and any foreign matter, such as dust, entrained therein to flow to the connecting pipe  30 . The suction passageway  24  is disposed in a central portion of the interior of the head housing  21  in the left-right direction and extends rectilinearly (straight) in the front-rear direction. That is, the suction passageway  24  is provided rectilinearly such that it passes through the central portion of the cleaner head  20  in plan view. A front end of the suction passageway  24  is fluidly connected to the suction opening  23 , and a rear end of the suction passageway  24  is fluidly connected to a coupling pipe  27 . 
     The suction passageway  24  is fluidly connected to a central portion of the suction opening  23  in the left-right direction. Because the suction passageway  24  is disposed in the central portion in the left-right direction and is fluidly connected to the central portion of the suction opening  23  in the left-right direction, the suction force act equally in (uniformly across) the left-right direction in the suction opening  23 . The coupling pipe  27  is disposed on a rear part of the cleaner head housing  21  and fluidly couples the suction passageway  24  to the connecting pipe  30 . Because the suction passageway  24  is provided rectilinearly (extends straight) in the front-rear direction from the suction opening  23  to the coupling pipe  27 , the dimensions of the cleaner head housing  21  can be reduced and suction losses are minimized, thereby ensuring a sufficient suction force. 
     The cover  25  is provided such that it is capable of opening and closing an upper portion of the cleaner head housing  21 . The cover  25  is pivotably mounted along a front end of the head housing  21  via a (not shown) hinge. Therefore, the cover  25  is pivotable about a central axis that is parallel to the left-right direction. The upper portion of the cleaner head housing  21  is openable and closable by pivoting the cover member  25 . When the cover  25  is in the closed state, it covers the battery-mounting parts  26  (see  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 ). 
       FIG. 9  is an oblique view that shows one exemplary example of the cover  25  pivoted to the open state. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the battery-mounting parts  26  can be exposed by opening the cover  25  so that batteries (battery packs, battery cartridges)  50  can be mounted on the battery-mounting parts  26  or removed therefrom. Thus, the cover  25  protects the batteries  50  when the batteries  50  are mounted on the battery-mounting parts  26  or protects terminals of the battery-mounting parts  26  that connect to the batteries  50  when the batteries are not mounted thereon, thereby inhibiting (blocking) the adherence of dust, etc. to the battery-mounting parts  26 . The cover  25  may be transparent or semitransparent, in which case the user can view the interior of the cleaner head housing  21  even if the cover member  25  has been pivoted to its closed position. 
     The battery-mounting parts  26  are respectively disposed at locations spaced apart (outward in the left-right direction) from the suction passageway  24  in plan view, and the batteries  50  are respectively mountable on the battery-mounting parts  26 . For example, in the first embodiment, the battery-mounting parts  26  are respectively disposed on both sides of the suction passageway  24  in the left-right direction. 
     The battery-mounting parts  26  include recessed parts  21   b , which are provided in the cleaner head housing  21  and are configured to respectively house the batteries  50 . Thus, by housing the batteries  50  in the recessed parts  21   b  within the head housing  21 , the height (the dimension in the up-down direction) of the cleaner head housing  21  can be reduced as compared to embodiments in which, for example, the batteries  50  are mounted on an upper surface of the cleaner head housing  21 . 
       FIG. 10  is an oblique view that shows an enlargement of a portion of the cleaner head housing  21  and shows one exemplary example of the left-side battery-mounting part  26 . As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , each of the battery-mountings part  26  has two rails  26   a  that extend parallel to the left-right direction. In other words, the two rails  26   a  are aligned and spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each pair of rails  26   a  guides one of the batteries  50  when the battery  50  is being mounted by being slid in the left-right direction (transverse direction) from the outer side toward the inner side in the left-right direction. 
     For example, with regard to the battery-mounting part  26  disposed on the left side of the suction passageway  24 , the battery  50  is mountable by being slid in the right direction from the left side of the cleaner head housing  21 . When the battery  50  is to be removed, the battery  50  is removable by being slid in the direction the reverse of that when being mounted, that is, in the left direction. 
     In addition, with regard to the battery-mounting part  26  disposed on the right side of the suction passageway  24 , the battery  50  is mountable by being slid from the right side of the cleaner head housing  21  in the left direction. When the battery  50  is to be removed, the battery  50  is removable by being slid in the direction the reverse of that when being mounted, that is, in the right direction. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  show one exemplary example of the state in which the batteries  50  are mounted in the cleaner head  20 , in which  FIG. 11  is an oblique view and  FIG. 12  is a plan view. As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , when mounted, the batteries  50  are housed inside the recessed parts  21   b  of the cleaner head housing  21 . Consequently, the external dimensions of the cleaner head housing  21  do not change regardless of whether the batteries  50  are mounted. 
     In the first embodiment, the batteries  50  are, for example, batteries designed for use with power tools, such as cordless driver-drills, cordless saws, etc., and preferably comprise a hard plastic shell (housing) that contains a plurality of battery cells, such as lithium ion battery cells or battery cells based upon another battery chemistry. The battery (battery pack or battery cartridge)  50  may also comprise a controller (microprocessor, memory, etc.) that performs various battery functions, such as checking the remaining battery capacity, storing battery usage history, communicating signals to a controller within the power tool, etc. However, it is noted that the batteries  50  are not limited to power-tool batteries and may be, for example, general-purpose batteries that are usable in other vacuum cleaners. The batteries  50  may be rechargeable. It is noted that, the upright vacuum cleaner  100  may also be configured such that it is powered by a power supply other than the batteries  50 . 
     In addition, the above-mentioned rear wheels  22  and two auxiliary wheels  28  are provided on the bottom surface  21   a  of the head housing  21 . The rear wheels  22  are respectively disposed on the left and right rear parts of the bottom surface  21   a . The rear wheels  22  are rotatable about a central axis, which is parallel to the cleaner head  20  in the left-right direction. By rotating the rear wheels  22 , the cleaner head  20  is easily movable in the front-rear direction. 
     The auxiliary wheels  28  are disposed on a central portion of the bottom surface  21   a  in the left-right direction. The auxiliary wheels  28  are disposed such that they protrude downward from the bottom surface  21   a , for example, between the left and right battery-mounting parts  26  in plan view, but the location of the auxiliary wheels  28  is not limited thereto. The auxiliary wheels  28  are rotatable about a central axis, which is parallel to the left-right direction. The amount of protrusion of the auxiliary wheels  28  downward from the bottom surface  21   a  is adjustable by a height-adjusting part  21   c , which is disposed on an upper surface of the cleaner head housing  21 . By the adjusting of the amount of downward protrusion of the auxiliary wheels  28 , the distance between the rotary brush  23   a  and the floor surface can be adjusted. 
     The connecting pipe  30  fluidly connects the main-body part  10  to the cleaner head  20 . In the first embodiment, the connecting pipe  30  fluidly connects the coupling pipe  15  of the main-body part  10  to the coupling pipe  27  of the cleaner head  20 . The connecting pipe  30  is disposed (extends) in the up-down direction along the right side of the main-body part  10 . Because the main-body part  10  and the cleaner head  20  are fluidly connected by (via) the connecting pipe  30 , air and foreign matter, such as dust, can be suctioned in from the suction opening  23  of the cleaner head  20  using the suction force generated in the motor chamber  13  of the main-body part  10 . 
     A method for operating the above-described upright vacuum cleaner  100  will now be explained. First, the user may determine whether electric power can be supplied to the upright vacuum cleaner  100 . For example, the user can verify whether the batteries  50  are mounted on the battery-mounting parts  26  by opening the cover  25  of the cleaner head  20 , or by looking through a transparent or semi-transparent cover  25  that is in the closed state. If the batteries  50  are not mounted on the battery-mounting parts  26 , then one or two of the batteries  50  are mounted on the battery-mounting parts  26 . In this embodiment, the batteries  50  can be mounted easily by being slid from the outer side of the head housing  21  in the left-right direction. In addition, if the batteries  50  are to be exchanged, then the batteries  50  can be easily removed by being slid in the reverse direction of the mounting direction. 
     After the batteries  50  have been mounted, or after it has been verified that the batteries  50  are mounted, the user grasps the handle  16  of the main-body part  10 , sets the main-body part  10  to the desired orientation (i.e. upright or tilted relative to the floor surface), and manually operates the DRIVE switch. When the DRIVE (ON) switch is actuated, a suction force is generated in the motor chamber  13  and air is sucked in via the suction opening  23  of the cleaner head  20 . Thereby, foreign matter, such as dust, on the floor surface is sucked in. 
     The user may then move the cleaner head  20  in the front-rear direction by grasping and maneuvering the handle  16 . In addition, if the main-body part  10  is tilted relative to the floor surface while the user grasps the handle  16 , the user may turn the handle  16  about an axis that is parallel to the up-down direction to rotate the cleaner head  20 , and thereby change the direction of travel. When the cleaner head  20  moves in the front-rear direction, the rotary brush  23   a  rotates. Thereby, for example, foreign matter that is caught in a carpet or the like can be brushed up (dislodged) by the rotary brush  23   a.    
     The air and foreign matter that is sucked in flows through the suction passageway  24  and reaches the coupling pipe  27 . In the first embodiment, the suction passageway  24  is disposed in the center in the left-right direction and is connected to the center of the suction opening  23  in the left-right direction. Consequently, suction can be performed equally in (uniformly across) the left-right direction of the suction opening  23 . In addition, because the suction passageway  24  is disposed rectilinearly (extends straight) in the front-rear direction, suction force losses are minimized as compared to embodiments in which the suction passageway  24  has been routed in a bent state within the head housing  21 . Consequently, air and foreign matter can be suctioned with sufficient suction force. 
     The air and foreign matter that reaches the coupling pipe  27  then flows to the dust-collection chamber  14  via the connecting pipe  30  and the coupling pipe  15 . The foreign matter is stored inside the dust-collection pack of the dust-collection chamber  14 . As shown in, for example,  FIG. 5 , air (AIR) flows into the passageway  11   a  via the filter  14   f  and the opening  14   a  of the dust-collection chamber  14 . When the air passes through the filter  14   f , fine foreign matter that was not collected by (in) the dust-collection pack is collected (filtered) by the filter  14   f . The air that flows into the passageway  11   a  is sucked into the motor chamber  13  via the passageway  11   a  and the opening  13   a . This air passes through the fan  13   f  and the motor  13   m  in the motor chamber  13  and is exhausted externally via the exhaust port  18 . It is noted that a passageway may be configured such that air that passes through the fan  13   f  and the motor  13   m  flows across a control board (not shown) to cool it. 
     When the STOP switch is manually actuated, the suction force is no longer generated in the motor chamber  13 , and thus suctioning through the suction opening  23  of the cleaner head  20  stops. Thereby, operation of the upright vacuum cleaner  100  stops. When the upright vacuum cleaner  100  is to be put away after operation stops, it can be stored, for example, as is in the state in which the main-body part  10  is stood upright relative to the floor surface. 
     As described above, the upright vacuum cleaner  100  according to the first embodiment comprises the main-body part  10  that includes the coupling pipe  15 , the dust-collection chamber  14  fluidly connected to the suction opening  23 , e.g., via a coupling pipe  15 , the motor chamber  13  fluidly connected to the dust-collection chamber  14  and in which the fan  13   f  and the motor  13   m  are housed, and the exhaust port  18  through which air is exhausted from the motor chamber  13 . The main-body part  10  can be maintained in the state in which the main-body part  10  stands upright relative to the floor surface. The upright vacuum cleaner  100  further comprises: the cleaner head  20 , which is pivotably connected to the main-body part  10  and suctions air owing to the suction force generated in the motor chamber  13 ; the suction passageway  24 , which is disposed inside the cleaner head  20 , is provided rectilinearly (extends straight) such that it passes through the central portion of the cleaner head  20  in plan view, and through which suctioned air flows toward the main-body part  10 ; and the batteries  50 , which are disposed at locations within the cleaner head  20  that are spaced apart (outward) from the suction passageway  24  in plan view. 
     According to the first embodiment, because the batteries  50  are disposed in the cleaner head  20 , the vacuum cleaner  100  can be moved (manipulated) more easily than in embodiments in which the batteries  50  are disposed in the main-body part  10 , because the main-body part  10  does not include the weight of the batteries  50 . In addition, the suction passageway  24  is provided rectilinearly (extends straight) such that it passes through the central portion of the cleaner head  20  in plan view. Consequently, suction force losses in the cleaner head  20  are minimized as compared to configurations in which the suction passageway has been routed in a bent state within the head housing  21 . Consequently, the upright vacuum cleaner  100  of the first embodiment is easy to use and provides a sufficient suction force at the suction opening  23 . 
     Furthermore, in the upright vacuum cleaner  100  according to the first embodiment, the batteries  50  are provided such that they are mountable on (in) the cleaner head  20  and removable therefrom. Therefore, the batteries  50  can be easily exchanged. 
     In the upright vacuum cleaner  100  according to the first embodiment, the batteries  50  are respectively disposed at a plurality of locations. Thereby, it becomes possible to select between an operating mode in which only one battery  50  is mounted and an operating mode in which a plurality of the (e.g., two) batteries  50  is mounted. For example, if the upright vacuum cleaner  100  is expected to be used for only a short time, only one battery  50  may be mounted. On the other hand, if the upright vacuum cleaner  100  is expected to be used for a long time, a plurality of the batteries  50  may be mounted, thereby minimizing the need to exchange batteries  50  during operation. 
     For example, when the batteries  50  are disposed (mounted) on both sides of the suction passageway  24  in plan view, it is possible to ensure that the weight on the left and right of the cleaner head  20  is balanced, thereby improving maneuverability and suction uniformity. 
     In the upright vacuum cleaner  100  according to the first embodiment, the cleaner head  20  comprises the rails  26   a , on which the batteries  50  are respectively mountable in a simple manner by being slid. 
     Furthermore, the battery-mounting parts  26  of the first embodiment include the recessed parts  21   b , which are provided in the cleaner head housing  21  for respectively housing the batteries  50 . Because the batteries  50  are respectively housed in the recessed parts  21   b , the height (the dimension in the up-down direction) of the cleaner head housing  21  can be reduced as compared to an embodiment in which, for example, the batteries  50  are mounted on an upper surface of the cleaner head housing  21 . 
     In the upright vacuum cleaner  100  according to the first embodiment, the batteries  50  are may be power tool batteries or general-purpose batteries, which permits the batteries  50  to be shared with other vacuum cleaners, power tools, and the like. 
     Moreover, the cleaner head  20  of the first embodiment comprises the pivotable cover  25  that covers the batteries  50  in the closed state, thereby protecting the mounted batteries  50  or the terminals of the battery-mounting parts  26  that connect to the batteries  50  to minimize the adherence of dust or the like to the battery-mounting parts  26 . 
     The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and modifications can be added as appropriate within a range that does not depart from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, an exemplary configuration was described that utilizes a single (integral) cover  25  to cover both of the two battery-mounting parts  26 , but embodiments of the present teachings are not limited thereto. Two or more covers may be provided that are configured to individually open and close the respective battery-mounting parts  26 . 
     In addition, the first embodiment utilizes two (a plurality) of the batteries  50  and two (a plurality) of the battery-mounting parts  26 , but embodiments of the present teachings are not limited thereto. For example, a configuration may be used in which one battery  50  and one battery-mounting part  26  are provided. In the alternative, a configuration may be used in which three or more of the batteries  50  and three or more of the battery-mounting parts  26  are provided. 
     In addition, in the first embodiment, the batteries  50  are respectively disposed at locations on both sides of the suction passageway  24  in plan view, but embodiments according to the present teachings are not limited thereto. Instead, both of the batteries  50  may be provided on one (the same) side of the suction passageway  24  in plan view. 
     In addition, the upright vacuum cleaner  100  of the first embodiment is configured such that the motor chamber  13  is disposed within the main-body part  10 , but embodiments of the present teachings are not limited thereto. For example, the upright vacuum cleaner may have a configuration in which the motor chamber is disposed within the cleaner head  20 . 
     Additional aspects of the present teachings include, but are not limited to: 
     1. An upright vacuum cleaner (dust collector) ( 100 ) having a main-body part ( 10 ) that includes a coupling pipe ( 15 ), a dust-collection chamber ( 14 ) fluidly connected to the coupling pipe, a motor chamber ( 13 ) fluidly connected to the dust-collection chamber and in which a fan ( 13   f ) and a motor ( 13   m ) are housed, and an exhaust port ( 18 ) through which air is exhausted from the motor chamber, the main-body part being maintainable in the state in which the main-body part stands upright relative to a floor surface, the upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) further comprising: 
     a cleaner head ( 20 ), which is pivotably and fluidly connected to the main-body part and is adapted to suction air through a suction opening ( 23 ) when the fan and motor generate a suction force; 
     a suction passageway ( 24 ), which is disposed inside the cleaner head, is provided rectilinearly (extends straight) such that it passes through a central portion of the cleaner head in plan view, and through which suctioned air flows to the main-body part; and 
     one or more batteries ( 50 ) disposed at a location or locations within the cleaner head that is/are spaced apart (outward) from the suction passageway in plan view. 
     2. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to the above Aspect 1, wherein the one or more batteries ( 50 ) is/are provided such that it is (they are) mountable on the cleaner head ( 20 ) and demountable therefrom. 
     3. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to the above Aspect 1 or 2, wherein two or more of the batteries ( 50 ) are respectively disposed at a plurality of locations. 
     4. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to the above Aspect 3, wherein the two or more of the batteries ( 50 ) are respectively disposed at locations on both sides of the suction passageway ( 24 ) in plan view. 
     5. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to the above Aspect 2, wherein the cleaner head ( 20 ) has one or more rails ( 26   a ) for slidably mounting the battery or batteries ( 50 ). 
     6. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to any one of the above Aspects 1-5, wherein: 
     the cleaner head ( 20 ) has a cleaner head housing ( 21 ); and 
     the cleaner head housing has one or more recessed parts ( 21   b ) configured to house the battery or batteries ( 50 ). 
     7. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to any one of the above Aspects 1-6, wherein the battery ( 50 ) is a general-purpose battery. 
     8. The upright vacuum cleaner ( 100 ) according to any one of the above Aspects 1-7, wherein the cleaner head ( 20 ) includes a cover ( 25 ) that is capable of opening and closing and that covers the one or more batteries ( 50 ) in its closed state. 
     Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved upright vacuum cleaners and methods of using the same. 
     Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings. 
     All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter. 
     EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           10  Main-body part (main casing) 
           11  Housing 
           12  Open/close cover 
           13  Motor chamber 
           14  Dust-collection chamber 
           15 ,  27  Coupling pipes 
           16  Handle 
           17  Coupling part 
           18  Exhaust port 
           20  Cleaner head 
           21  Cleaner head housing 
           21   a  Bottom surface 
           21   b  Recessed part 
           21   c  Adjustment part 
           22  Rear wheel 
           23  Suction opening 
           23   a  Rotary brush 
           24  Suction passageway 
           25  Cover 
           26  Battery-mounting part 
           26   a  Rail 
           28  Auxiliary wheel 
           30  Connecting pipe 
           50  Battery 
           100  Upright vacuum cleaner