Abstract: Provided is a Stirling engine whose characteristics can be easily adjusted. In a Stirling refrigerator as a Stirling engine including a piston as a reciprocating body that is configured to be able to reciprocate inside a cylinder having a central axis line X, and a mover of a linear motor and a connector as moving bodies that are coupled to and move together with this piston, since there is provided spacer(s) as an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the static position of a tip end of the piston inside the cylinder by adjusting the positional relation between the mover and the piston, the characteristics of the Stirling refrigerator can be easily adjusted.

Abstract: A Stirling refrigerator serves as a reciprocating motion engine and has: a casing; a cylinder arranged within the casing; a piston capable of being reciprocated within the cylinder in a reciprocating direction as being uniaxial; a control circuit electrically controlling movement of the piston; a damping unit provided at one end side of the casing in the reciprocating direction via a first connection part and a second connection part serving as connection parts; and a vibration detection board arranged via an attachment body on the second connection part, said vibration detection board serving as a vibration detector to detect a vibration in the reciprocating direction, caused by the reciprocating movement of the piston, to transmit it to the control circuit.

Abstract: A Stirling refrigerator serves as a reciprocating motion engine and has: a casing; a cylinder arranged within the casing; a piston capable of being reciprocated within the cylinder in a reciprocating direction as being uniaxial; a control circuit electrically controlling movement of the piston; a damping unit provided at one end side of the casing in the reciprocating direction via a first connection part and a second connection part serving as connection parts; and a vibration detection board arranged via an attachment body on the second connection part, said vibration detection board serving as a vibration detector to detect a vibration in the reciprocating direction, caused by the reciprocating movement of the piston, to transmit it to the control circuit.

Abstract: A free piston Stirling refrigerator of the present invention has a cylinder provided inside a casing; a piston and a displacer that are provided in a way such that they are capable of reciprocating inside the cylinder; a linear motor for reciprocating the piston; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the linear motor. Particularly, the control unit has an inverter circuit for generating an alternating current with a given frequency and then supplying the alternating current to the linear motor; a current detection circuit for detecting the current outputted from the inverter circuit; and a control circuit for controlling the output from the inverter circuit based on a turbulence in the current detected by the current detection circuit. Thus, collisions between the piston and the displacer (i.e. hitting) can be restricted through an inexpensive configuration and a simple control.

Abstract: A free piston Stirling refrigerator of the present invention has a cylinder provided inside a casing; a piston and a displacer that are provided in a way such that they are capable of reciprocating inside the cylinder; a linear motor for reciprocating the piston; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the linear motor. Particularly, the control unit has an inverter circuit for generating an alternating current with a given frequency and then supplying the alternating current to the linear motor; a current detection circuit for detecting the current outputted from the inverter circuit; and a control circuit for controlling the output from the inverter circuit based on a turbulence in the current detected by the current detection circuit. Thus, collisions between the piston and the displacer (i.e. hitting) can be restricted through an inexpensive configuration and a simple control.

Abstract: Provided is a thermally efficient Stirling cycle engine including: a casing; a cylinder housed within the casing; a piston reciprocatable inside said cylinder; a displacer reciprocatable with a phase difference relative to the piston; a compression chamber defined between the piston and the displacer; an expansion chamber arranged on a first side of the displacer with a second side thereof opposite to the compression chamber; a heat exhausting unit arranged in the neighborhood of the compression chamber; a heat absorbing unit arranged in the neighborhood of the expansion chamber; a regenerator arranged between the heat exhausting unit and the heat absorbing unit; and a heat exhausting chamber defined between an outer surface of the casing and an inner surface of the heat exhausting unit, said heat exhausting chamber in communication with the compression chamber and the regenerator respectively through a first passage and a second passage provided in the casing.

Abstract: Provided is a Stirling refrigerator having enhanced cooling capacity through improving exhaust-heat efficiency of the electromagnetic reciprocating drive mechanism. The Stirling refrigerator includes: a casing having a cylindrical portion and a body portion; a cylinder provided with a mount housed within the casing, the mount formed of a metal exhibiting high thermal conductivity; a piston and a displacer housed in the cylinder in a reciprocable manner; a stator of an electromagnetic reciprocating drive mechanism, the stator held on the mount and arranged within the body portion; and a mover of the electromagnetic reciprocating drive mechanism, the mover connected to the piston. The casing is partially formed with a heat-conduction block formed of a metal exhibiting favorable thermal conductivity thermally in contact with the mount. A heat generated at a compression chamber and an electromagnetic reciprocating drive mechanism can be efficiently released to the outside of the casing.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly 5 including: a base member 6; a movable member 7 inversely rotatably attached to the base member 6 and having one surface formed with a suction opening 20; and a covering member 8 movably attached to the base member 6. Holding members 22 for holding a cleaning sheet 21 are formed on the other surface of the movable member 7. When the one surface of the movable member 7 faces a floor surface and the other surface thereof is covered by the covering member 8, the electric vacuum cleaner can pick up filth through the suction opening 20. When the movable member 7 is rotated inversely so that the cleaning sheet 21 faces the floor surface, the electric vacuum cleaner can catch the filth by the cleaning sheet 21 and pick up the relatively large filth via a communicating path 34 formed in between the movable member 7 and the covering member 8, and the suction opening 20 connected to the communicating path 34.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner with simple structure, low airflow leakage, excellent maintainability, and less possibility of littering a floor in the case of dumping dusts or care of the cleaner. A cyclonic portion 14 of an approximately cylindrical shape, having a bottom, an introducing portion 15 for introducing dust-laden airflow to the cyclonic portion 14, and a reinforcing rib 35 provided on a lowermost end of the dust-collecting portion 11 for allowing it to stand on end, are formed into a one-piece structure. Thus, the structure from the introducing portion 15 to the cyclonic portion 14 can be simplified and the possibility of airflow leakage can be reduced. Also, maintenance of the cyclonic portion 14 and the introducing portion 15 can be easily performed through the detachment of the dust-collecting portion 11 together with the introducing portion 15.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner having a simple structure with low airflow leakage and excellent maintainability despite its long suction passage. A dust-collecting portion 11 includes a cyclonic portion 14 which is approximately cylinder-shaped, having a bottom and an introducing portion 15 for introducing dust-laden airflow to the cyclonic portion 14. The cyclonic portion 14 and the introducing portion 15 are integrally formed and then a vortex flow generating member 21 is provided in the dust-collecting portion 11. Thus, the structure of the dust-collecting portion can be simplified and thus the dusts can be dumped by detaching the dust-collecting portion 11 together with the introducing portion 15. Consequently, maintenance can be easily performed. Further, as the number of joints can be reduced, possibility of airflow leakage within the suction passage is reduced, so that dust-collecting performance can be enhanced.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner which suppresses the flow of dust-laden airflow to the outside of a dust collection container, even if fine or comparatively light dust particles ascend together with a vortex flow. Fine dust particles mixed in the vortex flow are captured by a filter 23 of a first vent hole 21 provided at a lower end of a base 19 of a vortex flow generating member 18. If the filter 23 is clogged with such particles to some extent, yet the airflow inside a dust collection container 15 is allowed to pass through a second vent hole 22 formed on the side surface of the base 19 of the vortex flow generating member 18 into an intake hole 12. As a result, a constant amount of airflow is insured. Further, owing to a skirt portion 25 provided around the first vent hole 21, the travel of the dust particles toward the second vent hole 22 can be prevented even though the dust particles captured by the filter 23 are carried on the vortex flow toward the second vent hole 22.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly 5 including: a base member 6; a movable member 7 inversely rotatably attached to the base member 6 and having one surface formed with a suction opening 20; and a covering member 8 movably attached to the base member 6. Holding members 22 for holding a cleaning sheet 21 are formed on the other surface of the movable member 7. When the one surface of the movable member 7 faces a floor surface and the other surface thereof is covered by the covering member 8, the electric vacuum cleaner can pick up filths through the suction opening 20. When the movable member 7 is rotated inversely so that the cleaning sheet 21 faces the floor surface, the electric vacuum cleaner can catch the filth by the cleaning sheet 21 and pick up the relatively large filth via a communicating path 34 formed in between the movable member 7 and the covering member 8, and the suction opening 20 connected to the communicating path 34.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner whose components are few enough to simplify maintenance, preventing the leakage of airflow. A dust collecting container 23 includes an outer cyclonic cylinder 21 and an inner cyclonic cylinder 22. The inner cylinder 22 is formed integrally with a vortex flow generating member 30 including outer and inner vortex flow generating portions 32 and 33. The outer portion 32 allows dust-laden air to turn into a vortex flow falling helically along a peripheral inner surface of the outer cylinder 21. The vortex flow is then turned upwardly on a bottom of the container 23, turning into a vortex flow along a peripheral outer surface of the inner cylinder 22. This vortex flow is then turned into a vortex flow along the peripheral inner surface of the inner cylinder 22 by the inner portion 33, turned upwardly in the center of the bottom of the container 23, passing through a mesh filter 45 and finally sucked into an air suction hole 19 of the cleaner body 1.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner with simple structure, low airflow leakage, excellent maintainability, and less possibility of littering a floor in the case of dumping dusts or care of the cleaner. A cyclonic portion 14 of an approximately cylindrical shape, having a bottom, an introducing portion 15 for introducing dust-laden airflow to the cyclonic portion 14, and a reinforcing rib 35 provided on a lowermost end of the dust-collecting portion 11 for allowing it to stand on end, are formed into a one-piece structure. Thus, the structure from the introducing portion 15 to the cyclonic portion 14 can be simplified and the possibility of airflow leakage can be reduced. Also, maintenance of the cyclonic portion 14 and the introducing portion 15 can be easily performed through the detachment of the dust-collecting portion 11 together with the introducing portion 15.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner having a simple structure with low airflow leakage and excellent maintainability despite its long suction passage. A dust-collecting portion 11 includes a cyclonic portion 14 which is approximately cylinder-shaped, having a bottom and an introducing portion 15 for introducing dust-laden airflow to the cyclonic portion 14. The cyclonic portion 14 and the introducing portion 15 are integrally formed and then a vortex flow generating member 21 is provided in the dust-collecting portion 11. Thus, the structure of the dust-collecting portion can be simplified and thus the dusts can be dumped by detaching the dust-collecting portion 11 together with the introducing portion 15. Consequently, maintenance can be easily performed. Further, as the number of joints can be reduced, possibility of airflow leakage within the suction passage is reduced, so that dust-collecting performance can be enhanced.

Abstract: A downsized vacuum cleaner whose filter is less likely to be clogged. An electric motor 2 and a fan 3 are provided within a cleaner body 1. A dust collecting section 16 is formed annular so as to surround the circumference of the fan 3. A filter 12 for filtering dust is mounted at an inside peripheral face of the dust collecting section 16 and dust separated by the filter 12 is collected in the dust collecting section 16. A flectional portion 35 is formed at an upper end of a suction tube 32, facing the dust collecting section 16 so that an airflow flowing along a peripheral direction of the dust collecting section 16 is generated. This causes comparatively larger-sized dust to be pressed, by a centrifugal force, against an inside wall of an outer peripheral side of the dust collecting section 16 so that only small-sized dust is filtered by the filter 12, preventing the filter 12 from being clogged.

Abstract: A cyclonic vacuum cleaner which suppresses the flow of dust-laden airflow to the outside of a dust collection container, even if fine or comparatively light dust particles ascend together with a vortex flow. Fine dust particles mixed in the vortex flow are captured by a filter 23 of a first vent hole 21 provided at a lower end of a base 19 of a vortex flow generating member 18. If the filter 23 is clogged with such particles to some extent, yet the airflow inside a dust collection container 15 is allowed to pass through a second vent hole 22 formed on the side surface of the base 19 of the vortex flow generating member 18 into an intake hole 12. As a result, a constant amount of airflow is insured. Further, owing to a skirt portion 25 provided around the first vent hole 21, the travel of the dust particles toward the second vent hole 22 can be prevented even though the dust particles captured by the filter 23 are carried on the vortex flow toward the second vent hole 22.