Electric vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10022029-B2
Application number	US-201515323652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 4, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An electric vacuum cleaner, including a cleaning unit includes a body case including a dust container opening, and a primary dust container including: a container body detachably provided to the body case accumulating dust collected by the cleaning unit; a connecting part exposed from or facing the dust container opening, when attached to the body case; a disposal port provided in the connecting part, for discharging dust from inside the container body; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station includes a dust transfer pipe contacting the connecting part of the primary dust container and connected to the disposal port, and a secondary dust container in which dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe is accumulated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising:
an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit autonomously moving on a surface to be cleaned and collecting dust on the surface; and
a station unit, wherein
the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit includes:
a body case having a dust container opening; and
a primary dust container including a container body detachably provided in the body case and accumulating the dust collected by the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit, a connecting part exposed from the dust container opening or facing the dust container opening in a state attached to the body case, a disposal port provided on the connecting part and through which the dust in the container body is discharged, and a disposal lid for opening and closing the disposal port; and
the station unit includes:
a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port in contact with the connecting part of the primary dust container;
a secondary dust container for accumulating the dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe; and
a lever hooked by the disposal lid, and opening the disposal lid to fluidically connect the disposal port and the dust transfer pipe to each other,
wherein the disposal lid and the lever swing around a rotation center line crossing a direction toward a home position of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
the disposal port is opened downward of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit; and
the dust transfer pipe is opened upward of the station.

3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
the disposal port is arranged closer to the station than to a center of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
the connecting part is fitted with the dust container opening.

5. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
the connecting part is flush with an outer surface of the body case.

6. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
the disposal lid is flush with the outer surface of the body case.

7. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein
the disposal port is arranged closer to the station than to a center of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

8. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein
the connecting part is fitted with the dust container opening.

9. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim wherein
the connecting part is fitted with the dust container opening.

10. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 7 , wherein
the connecting part is fitted with the dust container opening.

11. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein
the connecting part is flush with an outer surface of the body case.

12. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein
the connecting part is flush with an outer surface of the body case.

13. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein
the connecting part is flush with an outer surface of the body case.

14. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein
the disposal lid is flush with the outer surface of the body case.

15. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein
the disposal lid is flush with the outer surface of the body case.

16. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein
the disposal lid is flush with the outer surface of the body case.

17. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 10 , wherein
the disposal lid is flush with the outer surface of the body case.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Machida Yukio
• Tanaka Masatoshi
• Morishita Atsushi
• Ohtsuka Yuji
• Ichikawa Hiromitsu
• Murata Hiromitsu

Classifications

• A47L9/2884

  Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation · CPC title

• A47L2201/024

  Emptying dust or waste liquid containers · CPC title

• A47L9/2873 Primary

  Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02) · CPC title

• A47L9/2894

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L2201/022

  Recharging of batteries · CPC title