EP2002773B1 - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a vacuum cleaner housing, which comprises a lower part and an upper part can be placed on this, wherein the lower part forms a dirt collecting and the upper part receives a driven by an electric motor suction turbine with horizontally oriented turbine axis for generating a suction air flow, and wherein the upper part horizontally oriented flat filter is arranged, which is in fluid communication with the suction turbine via a suction channel.

Such a vacuum cleaner is from the published patent application DE 42 09 269 A1 known. He has proven to absorb dry and moist suction material. However, it is desirable to reduce the noise level that occurs during operation of the vacuum cleaner.

Object of the present invention is therefore to develop a vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned in such a way that it allows the lowest possible suction operation.

This object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner with the features of claim 1.

In the vacuum cleaner according to the invention, the suction channel has a straight course, preferably it is aligned parallel or coaxial with the turbine axis. The straight-line profile has the advantage that the number of deflections that the suction air flow in the region between the flat filter and the Saugturbine experiences, can be reduced. The suction air flow experiences within the suction channel only a deflection by 90 °, to enter with aligned parallel to the turbine axis flow direction in the suction turbine. As a result, on the one hand flow losses can be kept low and on the other hand, this allows a low-noise suction operation. In addition, the vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized by a compact design, because the suction turbine can be arranged immediately laterally next to the flat filter. Flow losses can be reduced. The vacuum cleaner according to the invention is thus characterized by a high suction capacity with low volume and low noise.

It is advantageous if the turbine axis is arranged at the height of the flat filter. This allows a particularly compact design of the vacuum cleaner and the flow path from the flat filter to the suction turbine can be kept very short, so that flow losses can be reduced.

It is particularly advantageous if the turbine axis is arranged at the level of the upper side of the flat filter. Under the top of this is understood to be the clean side, which faces away from the dirt collector. The flat filter is aligned horizontally and defines with its clean side a horizontal plane. The turbine axis is parallel and preferably within this horizontal plane. It has been shown that thereby both flow losses and the noise of the vacuum cleaner can be kept low.

By means of the vacuum cleaner in question, dirt and preferably also liquid can be absorbed by applying vacuum to the dirt collecting container with the aid of the suction unit. It then forms a suction air flow, with the help dirt and liquid can be sucked into the dirt collector. The vacuum cleaner has at least one flat filter, which is arranged in the flow path between the dirt collecting container and the suction unit and serves for the separation of solids from the suction air flow. During the suction operation, dirt particles increasingly accumulate on the underside of the filter facing the dirt collecting container, so that the filter has to be cleaned after some time. For cleaning, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention between the flat filter and the suction turbine, a filter cleaning device is arranged with the clean side of the flat filter can be acted upon for a short time with external air, wherein the filter cleaning device has a Filterabreinigungsgehäuse which defines the suction channel. For cleaning, the dirt collecting container facing away from the top of the filter can thus be subjected to external air. This leads to a mechanical vibration of the flat filter and the flat filter is flowed through against the flow direction of the suction air stream for a short time by external air. This has the consequence that detached on the underside of the flat filter accumulated dirt particles. Such filter cleaning devices are known per se to those skilled in the art. According to the invention runs within the Filterabreinigungsgehäuses the Filterabreinigungseinrichtung the rectilinear, preferably horizontally oriented suction channel through which the flat filter is in flow communication with the suction turbine. This facilitates the installation of the vacuum cleaner and allows a particularly compact design with relatively small volume.

The filter cleaning housing is preferably arranged directly above the flat filter. As a result, the overall height of the vacuum cleaner can be reduced and flow losses can be reduced.

It can be provided, for example, that the filter cleaning housing has a horizontally oriented inlet opening, on which the flat filter is arranged, and a vertical outlet opening, on which a suction inlet of the suction turbine is arranged. The inlet opening is thus arranged in a horizontal plane and the filter is positioned with its clean side at this inlet opening. The outlet opening extends in a vertical plane, that is to say it is rotated through 90 ° to the inlet opening, so that the suction air entering the filter cleaning housing via the inlet opening undergoes a deflection of 90 ° within the filter cleaning housing. The suction inlet of the suction turbine connects to the outlet opening. At the suction inlet, a grid may be positioned to protect the suction turbine. The grid may be positioned within a collar surrounding the outlet opening.

In order to further reduce the noise of the vacuum cleaner, the suction turbine is surrounded in a preferred embodiment of an annular space, to which two outlet channels adjoin each other. The suction air sucked in by the suction turbine can be discharged to the environment via the outlet channels. By providing two outlet channels, the intake air can be provided with a relatively large flow cross-section. This leads to a reduction in the air velocity and thereby to a reduction in the noise of the vacuum cleaner. The arrangement of the two outlet channels in such a way that they face each other, allows a particularly compact design of the vacuum cleaner by the exhaust passages each extend on one side of the turbine axis.

Preferably, the outlet channels are at least partially lined with an insulating material, because this noise can be further reduced.

It is particularly advantageous if the outlet channels are each curved by at least 180 °. The suction air thus experiences a deflection of at least 180 ° in the outlet channels. This leads to a reduction in the air speed and thus also to a reduction in the noise.

It has proved to be advantageous if the outlet ducts are configured with mirror symmetry relative to one another in relation to a vertical center plane of the vacuum cleaner. This simplifies the structural design of the vacuum cleaner.

The outlet channels preferably open into an outlet opening, which are arranged on opposite sides of the upper part. The sucked by the suction turbine suction air is thus discharged through two outlet openings to the environment. This too leads to a reduction of the noise. The arrangement of the outlet openings on opposite sides of the upper simplifies the structural design of the vacuum cleaner.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outlet channels extend at the level of the flat filter. In particular, it may be provided that the outlet channels receive the flat filter between them. As a result, the vacuum cleaner according to the invention can be equipped with a particularly low volume.

The outlet channels preferably each have a first, U-shaped curved channel section, which adjoins an annular space surrounding the suction turbine, and a second, essentially rectilinear channel section, which runs alongside one side of the flat filter. The flat filter may for example be rectangular, wherein in each case the second channel section of the outlet channels runs along a narrow side of the flat filter.

The suction turbine is preferably arranged in a turbine housing with a turbine housing cover, to which at least one sealing element is integrally formed. The turbine housing cover with the at least one molded sealing element thus forms a component consisting of at least two components, which can be mounted in a simple manner. The turbine housing cover may have the suction inlet of the suction turbine and be made for example of a hard plastic material. At this hard plastic material, the at least one sealing element is formed, which preferably consists of an elastically deformable material.

There may be formed a plurality of sealing elements on the turbine housing cover. For example, a first sealing element may serve for tight fitting of the suction turbine on the turbine housing cover, and a second one Sealing element can ensure a seal of the turbine housing cover with respect to a turbine housing pot. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a third sealing element is additionally used, which is also integrally formed on the turbine housing cover and the turbine housing seals against an intermediate wall of the upper part.

The at least one sealing element consists in a particularly favorable embodiment of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

It is particularly advantageous if a suction hose connection is arranged on the upper part on the side of the suction turbine facing away from the suction channel, which is in flow communication with the dirt collecting container and to which a suction hose can be connected. The Saugschlauchanschluss can be formed, for example in the form of a Saugstutzens, in which the tail of a suction hose can be used and to which a suction line connects in the direction of the dirt collecting. The arrangement of the Saugschlauchanschlusses on the upper part of the vacuum cleaner housing allows ergonomic connection of the suction hose and also has the advantage that the structural design of the lower part of the vacuum cleaner can be simplified.

It is particularly advantageous if the suction hose connection is arranged at the level of the turbine axis.

Figur 1:

eine vertikale Teilschnittansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Staubsaugers;

Figur 2:

eine Schnittansicht längs der Linie 2-2 in Figur 1 und

Figur 3:

eine Schnittansicht längs der Linie 3-3 in Figur 1.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention serves in conjunction with the drawings for further explanation. Show it:

FIG. 1:

a vertical partial sectional view of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention;

FIG. 2:

a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and

FIG. 3:

a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 ,

In the drawing, a vacuum cleaner 10 according to the invention is shown schematically with a lower part 12 and an upper part 14 which is placed on the lower part 12 and this covers the upper side. The lower part 12 forms a dirt collecting 16. On dirt collecting container 16, two freely rotatable about a common axis of rotation wheels 18, 19 are mounted on the outside. At a distance from the wheels 18, 19 are on the outside of the dirt collector 16 two known per se and therefore not shown in the drawing castors freely rotatably mounted. The vacuum cleaner 10 can thus be moved along a footprint.

The upper part 14 comprises a bottom wall 21, which is placed with the interposition of a sealing ring 22 on the upper edge 24 of the dirt collecting container 16. The bottom wall 21 has a first opening in the form of a suction air inlet 26 and a second opening in the form of a suction air outlet 27. The suction air inlet 26 is penetrated by a rigid suction line 29 which dips into the dirt collecting container 16 and with its end facing away from the dirt collecting container 16 a suction hose connection 30 defined, to which a known per se and therefore not shown in the drawing suction hose can be connected.

At the Saugluftauslass 27 of the bottom wall 21, a flat filter 32 is arranged, which is substantially rectangular in plan view and has a first narrow side 33 and a second narrow side 34 which are interconnected via a first longitudinal side 35 and a second longitudinal side 36.

The bottom wall 21 is covered by a hood 38 of the upper part 14. The hood 38 forms a carrying handle 39 for carrying the vacuum cleaner 10. Between the hood 38 and the bottom wall 21, a filter cleaning device 43 is disposed within the upper part 14 directly on the upper side 41 of the flat filter 32 facing away from the dirt collecting container 16 with a filter cleaning housing 44 which has a horizontally oriented inlet opening 46 and a vertically aligned outlet opening 47 and one of the inlet opening 46 opposite, also horizontally oriented external air opening 48 includes. At the external air opening 48, a closing valve 50 is arranged with a valve plate 51, which is held by means of an electromagnet 52 sealingly against the external air opening 48. On its side facing away from the electromagnet 52, the valve disk 51 is acted upon by means of a compression spring 53 with an elastic restoring force. The compression spring 53 is clamped between a bottom wall 54 of the filter cleaning housing 44 having the inlet opening 46 and the valve disk 51.

Between the filter cleaning device 43 and the suction hose connection 30, a suction unit 58 with a suction turbine 59 and a suction turbine 59 is within the upper part 14 in a suction turbine housing 57 driving electric motor 60 arranged. The turbine axis 62 of the suction turbine 59 runs in the horizontal direction and is arranged with respect to the vertical at the level of the upper side 41 of the flat filter 32. The extension of the turbine axle 62 passes through the suction hose connection 30, which is positioned at the height of the turbine axle 62.

The suction turbine housing 57 includes a substantially cup-shaped turbine housing pot 64 which is covered by a turbine housing cover 65. The turbine housing pot 64 has a vertically oriented housing bottom 67, to which a substantially cylindrical shell part 68 adjoins. The jacket part 68 has a bottom-side jacket section 70, which merges via a step 71 into a cover-side jacket section 72 with an enlarged diameter. The bottom-side jacket portion 70 surrounds the electric motor 60 in the circumferential direction and the cover-side jacket portion 72 surrounds the suction turbine 59 in the circumferential direction, wherein an annular space 74 is formed between the suction turbine 59 and the cover-side jacket portion 72.

The turbine housing cover 65 defines a suction inlet 76 to which a grid 77 is disposed. On the turbine housing cover 65 three sealing elements are formed, which consist in contrast to the made of a hard plastic material turbine housing cover 65 made of an elastically deformable material, in particular of a thermoplastic elastomer. A first annular sealing member 79 is disposed between the free edge of the cover-side shell portion 72 and the outer edge of the turbine housing cover 65. By means of the first sealing element 79, the turbine housing cover 65 is fluid-tightly connected to the turbine housing pot 64.

A second annular sealing element 82 is arranged concentrically with the first sealing element 79 and ensures a flow-proof contact of the suction turbine 59 on the turbine housing cover 65.

A third sealing element 83, which, like the first and the second sealing element 79 or 82, is integrally formed on the turbine housing cover 65, ensures a flow-proof contact of the turbine housing cover 65 on a collar 85 of the filter cleaning housing 44 defining the outlet opening 47.

The filter cleaning housing 44 defines a rectilinear suction passage 90 which extends in the horizontal direction and connects the flat filter 32 with the suction turbine 59.

During operation of the vacuum cleaner 10, a suction air stream can be generated by the suction turbine 59, which is led from the suction hose connection 30 through the dirt collecting container 16 and the flat filter 32, enters the suction channel 90 via the inlet opening 46 and leaves it via the outlet opening 47, and then over the suction inlet 46 to reach the suction unit 58.

Sucked air is discharged from the suction unit 58 via arranged on the circumference of the suction turbine 59 exhaust ports 92 to the annular space 74. On opposite sides 94 and 95 close to the annulus 74 opposite to each other, a first outlet channel 97 and a second outlet channel 98, which are configured with respect to a vertical center plane 99, in which the turbine axis 62, mirror-symmetrical to each other. They each comprise a first channel section 101 or 102, which adjoins the annular space 74 and is U-shaped, and a second channel section 104 or 105, which runs essentially rectilinearly and respectively opens into an outlet opening 107 or 108. The outlet openings 107 and 108 are arranged on opposite outer sides 110 and 111 of the upper part 14. In the vertical direction, the outlet channels 97 and 98 are positioned at the level of the turbine axis 62, in such a way that the second channel sections 104 and 105 each extend along a narrow side 33 or 34 of the flat filter 32.

The sucked by the suction unit 58 suction air can be discharged through the outlet channels 97 and 98 and the adjoining outlet openings 107 and 108 to the environment. The outlet channels 97 and 98 are lined on the inside with insulating material.

During the suction operation, dirt and preferably also liquid can be sucked into the dirt collecting container 16. Suction air flows through the flat filter 32, wherein deposited on the dirt collecting container 16 facing bottom 113 dirt particles. The flat filter 32 must therefore be cleaned after some time. For this purpose, the electromagnet 52 of the filter cleaning device 43 is switched off for a short time, so that the valve disk 51 releases the external air opening 48 for a short time and consequently external air can enter the suction channel 90. This leads to a mechanical vibration of the flat filter 32. Part of the entering into the suction channel 90 External air flows through the flat filter 32 counter to the flow direction of the prevailing during the suction suction air flow. Mechanical vibration and the external air flow through the flat filter 32 have the consequence that on the underside 113 deposited dirt particles from the flat filter 32. After cleaning, the solenoid 52 is turned on again, so that the valve plate 51, which was returned by the compression spring 53 to the external air opening 48, is again held sealingly against the external air opening 48. It can then continue the normal suction operation.

The vacuum cleaner 10 is characterized by a very low noise and by a high air flow and a compact design. The low noise is achieved in particular by the fact that the suction air flow in the region between the flat filter 32 and the suction turbine 59 experiences only a deflection of 90 °, since the suction channel 90 is rectilinear. In addition, the flow path between the flat filter 32 and the suction turbine 59 is kept very short. As a result, flow losses can be reduced. Since the outlet channels 97 and 98 are lined with insulating material, the noise of the vacuum cleaner can be further reduced. A further reduction of the noise is achieved in that the outlet channels 97 and 98 deflect the intake air sucked in each case by 180 °. This results in a reduction of the air velocity and this in turn reduces the noise. A further reduction of the air velocity and thus the noise development is achieved in that the sucked suction air is discharged through two outlet channels, because this overall increases the flow cross-section and consequently reduces the flow velocity.

Claims (16)

1. Vacuum cleaner having a bottom part (12) and a top part (14) which can be placed thereon, wherein the bottom part (12) forms a dirt collection container (16) and the top part (14) accommodates a suction turbine (59) driven by an electric motor (60) and having a horizontally aligned turbine axis (62) for generating a flow of suction air, and wherein a horizontally aligned flat filter (32) which is in flow connection via a suction channel (90) with the suction turbine (59) is arranged on or in the top part (14), characterized in that the suction channel (90) extends in a straight line, and the flow of suction air undergoes only a deflection through 90° between the flat filter (32) and the suction turbine (59).
2. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the turbine axis (62) is arranged at the level of the flat filter (32).
3. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the turbine axis (62) is arranged at the level of the upper side (41) of the flat filter (32).
4. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that a filter cleaning device (43) is arranged between the flat filter (32) and the suction turbine (59) for acting for a short time on the upper side (41) of the flat filter with external air, the filter cleaning device (43) comprising a filter cleaning housing (44) which defines the suction channel (90).
5. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the filter cleaning housing (44) is arranged immediately above the flat filter (32).
6. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the filter cleaning housing (44) comprises a horizontally aligned inlet opening (46) at which the flat filter (32) is arranged, and a vertical outlet opening (47) at which a suction inlet (76) of the suction turbine (59) is arranged.
7. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction turbine (59) is surrounded by an annular space (74) which is adjoined by two outlet channels (97, 98) located opposite each other.
8. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) are lined at least in some sections with insulating material.
9. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) are curved through at least 180°.
10. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) are of mirror-symmetrical configuration in relation to a vertical centre plane (99) of the vacuum cleaner (10).
11. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) each open into an outlet opening (107, 108), which outlet openings are arranged on sides (110, 111) of the top part (41) that face away from each other.
12. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) extend at the level of the flat filter (32).
13. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the outlet channels (97, 98) each comprise a first channel section (101, 102) curved in the shape of a U, which adjoins the annular space (74) surrounding the suction turbine (59), and a second channel section (104, 105) extending essentially in a straight line, which extends alongside a side (33, 34) of the flat filter (32).
14. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction turbine (59) is arranged in a turbine housing (57) with a turbine housing lid (65) on which at least one sealing element (79, 82, 83) is formed.
15. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that the at least one sealing element (79, 82, 83) consists of a thermoplastic elastomer.
16. Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a suction hose connection (30), which is in flow connection with the dirt collection container (16) and to which a suction hose is connectable, is arranged on the top part (14) on the side of the suction turbine (59) that faces away from the suction channel (90).

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