Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes link mechanisms that connect a bumper to be movable in a relatively horizontal direction with respect to a case main body. A coil spring energizes the bumper in a direction separated from the case main body. Obstacle sensors are arranged at positions facing the bumper in the case main body, and detect an obstacle by detecting movement of the bumper, due to contact with the obstacle, in at least one of a direction opposite to an energizing direction of the coil spring and a direction crossing such a direction. A controller controls the drive of a driving wheel based on detection of the obstacle by the obstacle sensor to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. The vacuum cleaner can detect an obstacle brought into contact with the bumper in a wide range with a simple configuration.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a main body case, driving wheels, and a cleaning portion. The main body case includes an electric blower, and a dust collecting portion communicating with a suction side of the electric blower. The driving wheels allow the main body case to travel on the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning portion includes a main body portion, the suction port, and wheels. The main body portion with a bottom surface portion facing the surface to be cleaned is located in a lower portion of the main body case and can move up and down. The suction port is provided on the bottom surface portion and communicates with the dust collecting portion. The wheels protrude downward from the bottom surface portion to contact the surface to be cleaned, thereby causing the main body portion to move up and down to trace the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaning apparatus including an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner that autonomously moves between surfaces to be cleaned and collects dust and a station fluidly connectable to the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner. The autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner includes: a container body accumulating collected dust, the container body including: a bottom wall including a disposal port; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station unit includes: a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port; a secondary dust container accumulating dust; and a secondary electric blower that generates negative suction pressure in the dust transfer pipe via the secondary dust container. At least one irregularly shaped ventilation groove that causes air to flow below the dust within the container body by the negative pressure generated by the secondary electric blower is provided to the inner surface of the bottom wall of the container body.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaning apparatus including an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner that autonomously moves between surfaces to be cleaned and collects dust and a station fluidly connectable to the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner. The autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner includes: a container body accumulating collected dust, the container body including: a bottom wall including a disposal port; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station unit includes: a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port; a secondary dust container accumulating dust; and a secondary electric blower that generates negative suction pressure in the dust transfer pipe via the secondary dust container. At least one irregularly shaped ventilation groove that causes air to flow below the dust within the container body by the negative pressure generated by the secondary electric blower is provided to the inner surface of the bottom wall of the container body.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner that secures efficiency and quietness without increasing the size of a main body part. The electric vacuum cleaner includes an electric blower, and a main body part including a first centrifugally separating part that centrifugally separates dust from air containing dust sucked by the electric blower. The first centrifugally separating part includes a dust collecting cup including a dust collecting cup main body that is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape and turns air containing dust inside, and an exhaust tube part that is formed along the central axis of the dust collecting cup main body and discharges exhaust air of the electric blower from the bottom portion.

Abstract: An electric cleaning apparatus, which comprises an autonomous cleaning unit which moves autonomously over a surface to be cleaned and collects dust, and a station unit which has a charging electrode for the autonomous cleaning unit, wherein the autonomous cleaning unit includes a first body case having a first inlet, a secondary battery which accumulates electric power supplied from the charging electrode, a first dust collecting container which accumulates dust sucked from the first inlet, and an electric blower which is driven by electric power supplied from the secondary battery and makes negative pressure act on the first dust collecting container, and wherein the station unit is provided with a second body case having a second inlet which sucks other dust different from the dust which the autonomous cleaning unit collects.

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.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes: a body case having an outer circumferential surface formed along either a circular arc or a polygon; a drive wheel allowing travel of the body case on a cleaning target surface; a side brush provided to the body case to be movable in a certain direction. The side brush: projects from the outer circumferential surface of the body case by an amount that changes in response to movement; includes a brush body movable to retreat toward the outer circumferential surface of the body case in response to external force acting in a direction crossing the certain direction; and includes a cleaning unit rotatably provided to the brush body. The cleaning unit rotates to clean the cleaning target surface. The side brush projecting from an outer circumferential surface of a body case can retreat readily and reliably when the side brush contacts an obstacle.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner in which a dust container inside an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit can be fluidically connected to a station using propulsive force of the cleaning unit moving to a dust discharge position. The cleaning unit includes a body case, and a primary dust container including: a container body accumulating dust collected by the cleaning unit; a disposal port discharging dust from inside the container body; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station includes a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port of the primary dust container; a lever hooked by the disposal lid while the cleaning unit is homing, opening the disposal lid and connecting the disposal port and the dust transfer pipe; and a secondary dust container in which dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe is accumulated.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaning apparatus including an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner that autonomously moves between surfaces to be cleaned and collects dust and a station fluidly connectable to the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner. The autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner includes: a container body accumulating collected dust, the container body including: a bottom wall including a disposal port; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station unit includes: a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port; a secondary dust container accumulating dust; and a secondary electric blower that generates negative suction pressure in the dust transfer pipe via the secondary dust container. At least one irregularly shaped ventilation groove that causes air to flow below the dust within the container body by the negative pressure generated by the secondary electric blower is provided to the inner surface of the bottom wall of the container body.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner capable of ensuring communication between a suction port and a dust collecting unit even in a state that a body portion of a cleaning unit has pivoted along an up/down direction relative to a main casing. The body portion is provided on the main casing to be pivotable along the up/down direction. A sliding-contact surface portion is provided in the body portion and curved along a pivoting direction of the body portion. A curved surface portion is provided in the communicating section body and curved along the pivoting direction of the body portion to be brought into sliding contact with the sliding-contact surface portion by pivoting motion of the body portion. A communicating opening is opened in the curved surface portion to communicate with the dust collecting unit.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaning apparatus that offers a high degree of convenience is provided that is capable of easily switching between a function that empties dust from an electric vacuum cleaner by moving dust collected by the cleaner to a station and accumulating the dust at the station, and a function that accumulates dust that is swept up together after quickly performing localized cleaning using an cleaning implement other than the cleaner at the station.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a main body case, driving wheels, and a cleaning portion. The main body case includes an electric blower, and a dust collecting portion communicating with a suction side of the electric blower. The driving wheels allow the main body case to travel on the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning portion includes a main body portion, the suction port, and wheels. The main body portion with a bottom surface portion facing the surface to be cleaned is located in a lower portion of the main body case and can move up and down. The suction port is provided on the bottom surface portion and communicates with the dust collecting portion. The wheels protrude downward from the bottom surface portion to contact the surface to be cleaned, thereby causing the main body portion to move up and down to trace the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, side brushes, an obstacle sensor, and a controller. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The side brushes are reciprocatively movable in both a direction of protruding from an outer frame of the main casing and its opposite direction, enabling cleaning of dust and dirt located outside the outer frame of the main casing. The obstacle sensor detects an obstacle by detecting a movement of the side brush in the opposite direction due to its contact with the obstacle. The controller controls drive of the driving wheels based on detection of an obstacle by the obstacle sensor to make the main casing autonomously travel. The vacuum cleaner can detect an obstacle at a position of a side brush while securely cleaning dust and dirt located outside an outer frame of a main casing by the side brush.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes link mechanisms that connect a bumper to be movable in a relatively horizontal direction with respect to a case main body. A coil spring energizes the bumper in a direction separated from the case main body. Obstacle sensors are arranged at positions facing the bumper in the case main body, and detect an obstacle by detecting movement of the bumper, due to contact with the obstacle, in at least one of a direction opposite to an energizing direction of the coil spring and a direction crossing such a direction. A controller controls the drive of a driving wheel based on detection of the obstacle by the obstacle sensor to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. The vacuum cleaner can detect an obstacle brought into contact with the bumper in a wide range with a simple configuration.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner in which a dust container inside an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit can be fluidically connected to a station using propulsive force of the cleaning unit moving to a dust discharge position. The cleaning unit includes a body case, and a primary dust container including: a container body accumulating dust collected by the cleaning unit; a disposal port discharging dust from inside the container body; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station includes a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port of the primary dust container; a lever hooked by the disposal lid while the cleaning unit is homing, opening the disposal lid and connecting the disposal port and the dust transfer pipe; and a secondary dust container in which dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe is accumulated.

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.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes: a body case having an outer circumferential surface formed along either a circular arc or a polygon; a drive wheel allowing travel of the body case on a cleaning target surface; a side brush provided to the body case to be movable in a certain direction. The side brush: projects from the outer circumferential surface of the body case by an amount that changes in response to movement; includes a brush body movable to retreat toward the outer circumferential surface of the body case in response to external force acting in a direction crossing the certain direction; and includes a cleaning unit rotatably provided to the brush body. The cleaning unit rotates to clean the cleaning target surface. The side brush projecting from an outer circumferential surface of a body case can retreat readily and reliably when the side brush contacts an obstacle.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner that can be improved in quietness without increasing in size while securing air intake balance. The electric vacuum cleaner includes an electric blower. The electric vacuum cleaner includes a separating part that separates dust sucked by the electric blower. The separating part includes a first centrifugally separating part that centrifugally separates dust sucked by the electric blower. The separating part includes a plurality of second centrifugally separating parts that centrifugally separates dust smaller than dust to be separated by the first centrifugally separating part. The second centrifugally separating parts communicate with the downstream side of the first centrifugally separating part, and are disposed at positions opposite to each other with respect to the electric blower.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner that secures efficiency and quietness without increasing the size of a main body part. The electric vacuum cleaner includes an electric blower, and a main body part including a first centrifugally separating part that centrifugally separates dust from air containing dust sucked by the electric blower. The first centrifugally separating part includes a dust collecting cup including a dust collecting cup main body that is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape and turns air containing dust inside, and an exhaust tube part that is formed along the central axis of the dust collecting cup main body and discharges exhaust air of the electric blower from the bottom portion.