U.S. patent application number 11/008161 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-28 for electric vacuum cleaner and dust collecting unit for use therein.
Invention is credited to Ueyama, Shuzo, Yoshida, Jun.
Application Number | 20050160554 11/008161 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34792392 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050160554 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ueyama, Shuzo ; et
al. |
July 28, 2005 |
Electric vacuum cleaner and dust collecting unit for use
therein
Abstract
An electric vacuum cleaner 100 and a dust collecting unit 5 for
use therein of the present invention include a dust collecting
container 51 into which air sucked at the time of cleaning is led
and a cyclone mechanism 52 for causing the air led into the dust
collecting container 51 to swirl to separate dust contained in the
air from the air, and are further provided with a filter 25 outside
the dust collecting container 51 for catching minute dust contained
in the air discharged from the dust collecting container 51.
According to the electric vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust
collecting unit 5 for use therein of the present invention, minute
dust not removed from the air in the dust collecting container 51
by the cyclone mechanism 52 can be surely caught by the filter 25
provided outside the dust collecting container 51. And since the
filter 25 is provided outside the dust collecting container 51, it
has a preferable maintenance property for cleaning, exchange and
the like.
Inventors: |
Ueyama, Shuzo; (Kasai-shi,
JP) ; Yoshida, Jun; (Himeji-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & Berdo, PC
1101 14TH STREET, NW
SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
34792392 |
Appl. No.: |
11/008161 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/353 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/1666 20130101;
A47L 9/1608 20130101; A47L 9/1683 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/353 |
International
Class: |
A47L 009/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 22, 2004 |
JP |
2004-014112 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electric vacuum cleaner including a suction means, a cleaner
main body communicated with the suction means, a dust collecting
chamber provided in the cleaner main body and having an air suction
port and an air outlet port, a cyclone mechanism provided in the
dust collecting chamber for causing air led into the dust
collecting chamber to swirl thereby to separate dust from the air,
and a filter for catching minute dust contained in the air
discharged from the air outlet port, the filter being provided
outside the dust collecting chamber and on the downstream side of
the air outlet port seen in the air flow direction.
2. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, in which the
cyclone mechanism includes a circular cylinder disposed
substantially in the center of the dust collecting chamber and
provided with an air inlet port in the circumferential surface
thereof, an air discharge cylinder disposed substantially coaxially
in the circular cylinder, one end of the air discharge cylinder
being disposed in the circular cylinder and the other end being
communicated with the air outlet port, a swirl air flow generating
means for causing air entering through the air inlet port into a
space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular
cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge
cylinder to swirl along the inner circumferential surface of the
circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air
discharge cylinder, and a dust outlet port provided in the circular
cylinder for discharging dust separated from the air swirled by the
swirl air flow generating means to the outside of the circular
cylinder.
3. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, in which the
swirl air flow generating means includes a spiral blade provided in
the space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the
circular cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air
discharge cylinder and adapted to lead air to swirl and flow in the
axial direction of the circular cylinder and the air discharge
cylinder.
4. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, in which the
dust collecting chamber is defined by a container including a
cylindrical part and the container is attachable to and detachable
from the cleaner main body.
5. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, in which the
container is provided with the air suction port so that air can
flow into the container along the inner circumferential surface of
the cylindrical part, and a primary separation cylinder having a
plural air holes in the circumferential surface thereof is provided
so as to coaxially enclose the circular cylinder, for separating
large-sized dust from the air entering through the air suction
port.
6. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, in which the
filter is provided on the outer surface of one end of the container
in an attachable and detachable manner.
7. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, in which the
air outlet port is provided at one end face of the container, and
the filter is provided on the outer surface of one end of the
container in such a manner that it can be shifted between the
closed state in which the air outlet port is closed and the open
state in which the air outlet port is opened.
8. An electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, in which the
filter has a triple layer structure comprising a first filter, a
second filter and a third filter in the order seen in the air
stream direction, and the second filter has an additional function
as a spacer for providing a predetermined space between the first
filter and the third filter.
9. A dust collecting unit including a dust collecting container
having an air suction port and an air outlet port and defining a
dust collecting chamber, a cyclone mechanism for causing air led
through the air suction port into the dust collecting chamber to
swirl thereby to separate dust contained in the air from the air,
and a filter for catching minute dust contained in the air
discharged from the air outlet port, the filter being provided
outside the dust collecting container.
10. A dust collecting unit according to claim 9, in which the
filter can be shifted between the closed state in which the air
outlet port is closed and the open state in which the air outlet
port is opened.
11. A dust collecting unit according to claim 10, in which the
filter is attachable to and detachable from the dust collecting
container.
12. A dust collecting unit according to claim 11, in which the
filter has a triple layer structure comprising a first filter, a
second filter and a third filter in the order seen in the air
stream direction, and the second filter has an additional function
as a spacer for providing a predetermined space between the first
filter and the third filter.
13. A dust collecting unit according to claim 9, in which the dust
collecting container has a circular cylindrical shape, and the dust
collecting unit includes a primary separation cylinder having a
plural air holes in the circumferential surface thereof and
coaxially provided in the dust collecting container for separating
large-sized dust from air entering through the air suction port, a
circular cylinder disposed coaxially in the primary separation
cylinder and provided with an air inlet port in the circumferential
surface thereof, and an air discharge cylinder disposed coaxially
in the circular cylinder, one end of the air discharge cylinder
being disposed in the circular cylinder and the other end being
communicated with the air outlet port.
14. A dust collecting unit according to claim 13 including a swirl
air flow generating means for causing air entering through the air
inlet port of the circular cylinder into a space defined by the
inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder and the
outer circumferential surface of the air discharge cylinder to
swirl along the inner circumferential surface of the circular
cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge
cylinder, and a dust outlet port provided in the circular cylinder
for discharging dust separated from the air swirled by the swirl
air flow generating means to the outside of the circular
cylinder.
15. A dust collecting unit according to claim 14 in which the swirl
air flow generating means includes a spiral blade provided in the
space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular
cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge
cylinder and adapted to lead swirl air in the axial direction of
the circular cylinder and the air discharge cylinder.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner
and a dust collecting unit for use therein, and especially to
so-called a cyclone type electric vacuum cleaner and a dust
collecting unit for use therein.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The inventors of the present application have proposed a
prior invention of so-called a cyclone type electric vacuum cleaner
in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-94416. This proposed
electric vacuum cleaner has a cyclone cylindrical body disposed in
the center of a dust collecting chamber and an air discharge
cylinder disposed in the center of the cyclone cylindrical body,
and performs operations of causing air led into the dust collecting
chamber to swirl along the outer circumferential surface of the
cyclone cylindrical body and thereby separating relatively
large-sized or coarse dust from air. Then, air from which
relatively large-sized dust has been separated is led into the
cyclone cylindrical body, and the air is swirled in the space
between the air discharge cylinder and the cyclone cylindrical body
by a swirl air flow generating means. Thereby, minute dust is
separated from the air and accumulated in the lower part inside the
cyclone cylindrical body. The air from which minute dust has been
separated is led through the air discharge cylinder to the outside
of the dust collecting container. With such a structure, the axial
length of the cyclone cylindrical body disposed in the dust
collecting chamber can be shortened and thereby the dust collecting
unit can be miniaturized.
[0005] However, in the invention of the abovementioned prior
application, since the axial length of the cyclone cylindrical body
is short, minute dust, though in a little amount, is not separated
from air and apt to be discharged together with the air to the
outside of the dust collecting container. For solving this problem,
it can be proposed that a dust collecting filter is provided in a
stream of the dust collecting unit. However, such an arrangement
causes a new problem that troublesome operations are required for
attaching and detaching such dust collecting filter or the like at
the maintenance time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has been made in order to solve the
abovementioned problems. And an object of the present invention is
to provide an electric vacuum cleaner of a high dust collecting
efficiency though it has a miniaturized dust collecting unit.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
electric vacuum cleaner having a dust collecting filter of an
improved maintenance property, and a dust collecting unit for use
in the electric vacuum cleaner.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
dust collecting unit suitable for use in a cyclone type electric
vacuum cleaner.
[0009] The present invention is, to sum up, an electric vacuum
cleaner and a dust collecting unit for use therein, the electric
vacuum cleaner includes a dust collecting container into which air
sucked at the cleaning time is led and a cyclone mechanism for
causing air entering into the dust collecting container to swirl
thereby to separate dust contained in the air from the air, and is
characterized by further including a filter outside the dust
collecting container for catching minute dust contained in air
discharged from the dust collecting container.
[0010] According to the present invention, minute dust not removed
from air by the cyclone mechanism in the dust collecting container
can be surely caught by the filter provided outside the dust
collecting container. Further, since the filter is provided outside
the dust collecting container, it has a good maintenance property
for cleaning, exchange and the like.
[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described below with reference to the appended drawings. The
description of the embodiments below does not limit the claims of
the present invention but is only for understanding of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a view showing the schematical structure of an
upright type electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the structure of
a dust collecting unit according to an embodiment of the present
invention in which a filter is in the closed state.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the structure of
a dust collecting unit according to an embodiment of the present
invention in which the filter is in the opened state.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The structure of an upright type electric vacuum cleaner
according to an embodiment of the present invention will be now
described.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematical view of an upright type electric
vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The electric vacuum cleaner 100 includes a suction section 2
movable along floor surfaces. The suction section 2 has a suction
port 1 open to the floor surfaces, and a rotary brush (not shown)
is provided within the suction port 1. The suction section 2 is
pivotally supported by a cleaner main body 3 of the electric vacuum
cleaner 100 and communicated with the inside of the cleaner main
body 3. Provided in the upper portion of the cleaner main body 3 is
a handle 4 extending upward. A dust collecting unit 5 is removably
mounted on the cleaner main body 3. Within the cleaner main body 3
provided is an electric blower (not shown) below the dust
collecting unit 5. When the electric blower is operated, air
containing dust is sucked through the suction section 2 and led
into the dust collecting unit 5. Then, the dust is separated from
the air in the dust collecting unit 5 and the cleaned air is
discharged from the lower portion of the cleaner main body 3.
[0017] The dust collecting unit 5 has a grip 41 in the upper
portion, so that a user can detach the dust collecting unit 5 from
the cleaner main body 3 by holding the grip 41 with his or her
hand. The main part of the dust collecting unit 5 is formed into a
cylindrical shape of a transparent or semi-transparent resin.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the dust collecting
unit 5 detached from the cleaner main body 3 in which a filter 25
is in the closed state. Further, FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional
view of the dust collecting unit 5 in which the filter 25 is in the
open state. Now, the structure of the dust collecting unit 5 will
be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0019] The dust collecting unit 5 includes a cylindrical container
51. The container 51 has so-called a vertical cylindrical shape in
which the central axis thereof extends in the vertical direction.
The container 51 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent
resin. Provided in the upper portion of the inside of the container
51 is a partition wall 6 spreading in the horizontal direction. A
holding mechanism room 10 is provided above the partition wall 6.
Within the holding mechanism room 10, though not shown, contained
is a mechanism for holding a cyclone mechanism 52 disposed in the
space below the partition wall 6. The holding mechanism is operated
from outside the container 51 so as to attach the cyclone mechanism
52 to the container 51 or detach the cyclone mechanism 52 from the
container 51. However, since it is not the main subject of the
present invention, further detailed description thereof is
omitted.
[0020] A space defined by a lower surface of the partition wall 6
and the container 51 constitutes a dust collecting chamber 8. Being
defined by the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical
container 51, the side surface of the dust collecting chamber 8 is
formed into a cylindrical shape. The container 51 has an air
suction port 11 so that air can be sucked along the inner
circumferential surface of the cylindrical dust collecting chamber
8. The air suction port 11 is provided in the upper portion of the
dust collecting chamber 8. An opening 7 is formed at the bottom
portion of the dust collecting chamber 8 and the opening 7 is
covered by closing a lid 12. The lid 12 is pivoted to one side of
the bottom portion of the container 51 so as to make pivotal
movement. At the other side of the bottom portion of the container
51, a clamp 13 is provided. The clamp 13 holds (locks) the lid 12
in the state in which the lid 12 closes the lower opening 7 of the
container 51. An operating member 14 is provided near the clamp 13.
By pressing the operating member 14 in the downward direction, the
clamp 13 pivotally moves and the lid 12 is unlocked. An air outlet
port 15 is provided substantially in the center of the lid 12. The
air outlet port 15 is communicated with a lower end 23 of an air
discharge cylinder 17 which will be mentioned below.
[0021] The outside of the dust collecting chamber 8, namely, the
lower opening 7 of the dust collecting chamber 8 is closed by the
lid 12, and the filter 25 is provided below the lid 12. The filter
25 is disposed so as to oppose to the air outlet port 15 provided
in the lid 12. And as mentioned below, air discharged from the air
outlet port 15 is led through the filter 25 to the electric blower
(not shown).
[0022] Now, the structure of the cyclone mechanism 52 provided in
the dust collecting chamber 8 will be described.
[0023] The cyclone mechanism 52 includes a primary separation
cylinder 9 having a vertical central axis and formed in a circular
cylindrical shape, a circular cylinder 16 coaxially disposed inside
the primary separation cylinder 9, and the air discharge cylinder
17 formed in a cylindrical shape and coaxially disposed inside the
circular cylinder 16.
[0024] The vertical length of the primary separation cylinder 9 is
about the upper half of the vertical length of the dust collecting
chamber 8. A plurality of air holes 18 are provided in the
circumferential surface of the primary separation cylinder 9 except
the upper circumferential surface opposed to the air suction port
11. A downwardly and outwardly spreading skirt 19 is extended from
the lower end of the primary separation cylinder 9. The space
between the skirt 19 and the inner circumferential surface of the
container 51 becomes narrow since the skirt 19 spreads downwardly
and outwardly from the lower end of the primary separation cylinder
9. As a result, the region below the skirt 19 in the dust
collecting chamber 8 serves as a region for storing dust.
[0025] Air (air containing dust) introduced through the air suction
port 11 into the dust collecting chamber 8 swirls along the inner
circumferential surface of the container 51 and enters through the
plurality of air holes 18 provided in the circumferential surface
of the primary separation cylinder 9 into the primary separation
cylinder 9. At this time, due to the swirling of the air along the
inner circumferential surface of the container 51, dust in rather
large sizes contained in the air is separated below and drops
through the space between the skirt 19 and the inner
circumferential surface of the container 51 downwardly to be
accumulated at the bottom of the dust collecting chamber 8.
[0026] The upper part of the circular cylinder 16 provided in the
primary separation cylinder 9 is coaxially disposed inside the
primary separation cylinder 9 and the lower part thereof extends to
the bottom of the dust collecting chamber 8. And the circular
cylinder 16 and the skirt 19 of the primary separation cylinder 9
are removably connected to each other through an outwardly
stretched flange 20 disposed substantially in the center of the
circular cylinder 16.
[0027] Above the flange 20, an air inlet port 21 is provided so as
to open a part of the circumferential surface of the circular
cylinder 16. Further, the circular cylinder 16 is provided with a
dust outlet port 22 near the upper end of the circumferential
surface thereof.
[0028] Air introduced into the primary separation cylinder 9
through the air holes 18 thereof enters into the circular cylinder
16 through the air inlet port 21 provided in the circular cylinder
16. Then, swirling in the ring-shaped space when seen in a plan
view defined by the inner circumferential surface of the circular
cylinder 16 and the outer circumferential surface of the air
discharge cylinder 17 disposed in the circular cylinder 16, the air
flows upwardly, so that dust in the air is separated and the
separated dust is discharged through the dust outlet port 22 to the
outside of the circular cylinder 16. And the discharged dust drops
down to the lower part of the dust collecting chamber 8.
[0029] The upper end of the air discharge cylinder 17 coaxially
disposed inside the circular cylinder 16 opens at a position a
little higher than the middle position of the height of the
circular cylinder 16. Further, the lower part of the air discharge
cylinder 17 extends downwardly similarly to the lower part of the
circular cylinder 16, and the lower end 23 thereof is communicated
with the air outlet port 15 provided in the lid 12.
[0030] The position of the opened upper end of the air discharge
cylinder 17 has only to be higher than the air inlet port 21 of the
circular cylinder 16 and lower than the dust outlet port 22.
[0031] Further, in the space defined by the inner circumferential
surface of the circular cylinder 16 and the outer circumferential
surface of the air discharge cylinder 17, a spiral blade 24 is
provided as a swirl air flow generating means. The spiral blade 24
is an elongated projection on the outer circumferential surface of
the air discharge cylinder 17, and it starts from a position
opposed to the air inlet port 21 of the circular cylinder 16 and
spirally extends upwardly on the outer circumferential surface of
the air discharge cylinder 17. The top (ridge) of the elongated
projection is close to or in contact with the inner circumferential
surface of the circular cylinder 16. Therefore, air entering
through the air inlet port 21 is guided by the spiral blade 24 to
flow swirling in the upward direction. Thereby minute dust is
separated from the air. The separated minute dust is discharged to
the outside of the circular cylinder 16 through the dust outlet
port 22 provided at the upper position of the circular cylinder 16.
And air which flows swirling upwardly enters the air discharge
cylinder 17 through the upper opening of the air discharge cylinder
17 and flows downwardly to be discharged through the air outlet
port 15 to the outside of the container 51.
[0032] The filter 25 is provided outside the container 51, namely,
below the lid 12. The filter 25 is disposed in a position opposed
to the air outlet port 15 as abovementioned, so that air discharged
from the air outlet port 15 passes through the filter 25.
[0033] The filter 25 has a triple layer structure comprising a
first filter 26 formed of rough urethane or the like, a second
filter 27 formed of unwoven cloth or the like and a third filter 28
of a pleated structure for removing minute dust, in the order seen
from the upstream side. The filter 25 is contained in a filter case
29. The filter case 29 is pivoted at one side by the lid 12 so as
to make pivotal movement. The other side of the filter case 29 is
provided with a click 30 which can engage with a projection
provided on the lid 12.
[0034] With such arrangements, the filter case 29 can be shifted
between the closed state in which the filter case 29 is disposed in
the horizontal direction below the lid 12 thereby to close the air
outlet port 15 as shown in FIG. 2 and the open state in which the
filter case 29 is disposed in the vertical direction thereby to
open the air outlet port 15 as shown in FIG. 3.
[0035] Further, though not shown, the filter case 29 containing the
filter 25 inside may be adapted to be removable from the lid
12.
[0036] The filter 25 has the triple layer structure as
abovementioned. The third filter 28 is of the pleated structure for
improving the dust collecting efficiency. With such a structure, in
a case the second filter 27 is not present and the space between
the first filter 26 and the third filter 28 is so narrow that, for
example, the first filter 26 and the third filter 28 are in contact
with each other, air is liable not to flow through the part of the
third filter 28 corresponds to a plugged part of the first filter
26when the first filter 26 is plugged. In such a case, the dust
collecting efficiency of the third filter 28 is lowered and at the
same time the life of the third filter 28 becomes shorter.
[0037] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second filter 27 is
provided between the first filter 26 and the third filter 28. In
addition to the main function of catching dust, the second filter
27 has another function as a spacer keeping a predetermined space
between the first filter 26 and the third filter 28. With such a
structure, even if a part of the first filter 26 is plugged, air
can flow through the third filter 28 in correspondence to the
plugged part of the first filter 26 by means of the second filter
27. As a result, the life of the third filter 28 can be prevented
from becoming shorter and at the same time the dust collecting
efficiency can be prevented from being lowered.
[0038] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the whole air flow in the
electric vacuum cleaner 100 will be briefly explained. Air
containing dust sucked through the suction port 1 of the suction
section 2 is introduced into the dust collecting chamber 8 of the
dust collecting unit 5. At this time, while the air enters the dust
collecting chamber 8 in the swirling direction along the inner
circumferential surface of the container 51, relatively large-sized
dust and the like is separated from the air and falls down to the
lower region of the dust collecting chamber 8 defined by the skirt
19 thus to be accumulated on the lid 12.
[0039] Air from which relatively large-sized dust is removed is led
through the air holes 18 of the primary separation cylinder 9 and
the air inlet port 21 of the circular cylinder 16 into the circular
cylinder 16. Then, the air is guided by the spiral blade 24
provided on the outer circumferential surface of the air discharge
cylinder 17 to become a swirl air flow, which goes swirling
upwardly in the circular cylinder 16. By this upward swirl air
flow, minute dust is separated from the air. The separated minute
dust is discharged through the dust outlet port 22 to the outside
of the circular cylinder 16 to be accumulated in the lower part of
the dust collecting chamber 8.
[0040] The air from which the minute dust is removed passes through
the upper opening of the air discharge cylinder 17, falls down in
the air discharge cylinder 17, is discharged below from the air
outlet port 15 and flows through the filter 25 to the electric
blower (not shown). If a slight amount of minute dust is left in
the air passing through the filter 25, the filter 25 catches such
minute dust.
[0041] In order to removing away dust accumulated in the dust
collecting unit 5, the lid 12 has only to be opened. When the lid
12 is opened, dust accumulated in the lower part of the dust
collecting chamber 8 falls down by its own weight.
[0042] In this embodiment, the filter 25 is disposed outside of the
dust collecting chamber 8, namely, on the lower side of the lid 12.
In other words, the filter 25 is disposed outside the dust
collecting chamber 8 and on the downstream side of the air outlet
port 15 when seen in the direction of air flow. Therefore, if the
dust collecting unit 5 is miniaturized and a slight amount of
minute dust is still left in air from which dust has been separated
by the cyclone mechanism, such dust left in the air can be surely
caught by the filter 25. As a result, the dust collecting unit 5
can be miniaturized without lowering the dust collecting efficiency
thereof.
[0043] In order to clean, exchange or the like the filter 25, the
filter case 29 has only to be opened as shown in FIG. 3. By opening
the filter case 29, the condition of the filter 25 can be easily
confirmed from outside of the dust collecting unit 5, so that the
maintenance property of the filter 25 can be improved.
[0044] In the abovementioned embodiment, the dust collecting
chamber 8 is formed by the container 51 and the lid 12, but it is
not limited to such a structure. It is also possible that the
container is in the shape of a cylinder having closed bottom and
opened upper end and the lid for closing the opened upper end of
the container is not provided on the container so as to be closed
and opened but provided on the cleaner main body side. In this
case, it is possible that the air outlet port of the dust
collecting unit is provided, for example, in the circumferential
surface of the container and the filter is fitted to the outside of
the container.
[0045] Further, in the abovementioned embodiment, the air outlet
port is provided at the bottom of the dust collecting unit 5.
However, the air outlet port can be provided in the upper surface,
side surface or the like of the dust collecting unit 5. In such
cases, the fitting position of the filter can be changed in
correspondence with the position of the air outlet port.
[0046] In the above-described structure, the spiral blade 24 as a
swirl air flow generating means within the dust collecting chamber
8 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the air
discharge cylinder 17. However, the spiral blade 24 may be provided
on the inner circumferential surface of the circular cylinder
16.
[0047] Further, the present invention can be applied not only to an
upright type electric vacuum cleaner but also to a canister type
electric vacuum cleaner.
[0048] Furthermore, the present invention can be variously changed
within the scope of claims.
* * * * *