WO2011008149A1

WO2011008149A1 - Vacuum cleaner with a separating device arranged in suction tubing

Info

Publication number: WO2011008149A1
Application number: PCT/SE2010/000185
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Ekhagen; Anders Olsson
Original assignee: PRIMAFORM PRODUKTION AB
Current assignee: PRIMAFORM PRODUKTION AB
Priority date: 2009-07-13
Filing date: 2010-06-29
Publication date: 2011-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2012-01-13
Also published as: SE0900982A1; SE533038C2

Abstract

Vacuum cleaner with suction tubing (3) comprising an extension tube (5) designed with a transparent housing (6) having two tubular parts (8, 9) bearing against one another end to end and flexibly connected to one another by a hinge (10), the downstream tubular part (9) having an opening designed to receive a separating device (7) in the form of a completely or partially removable grille or mesh for separating objects of predetermined minimum dimensions from the air sucked up by the suction tubing.

Description

VACUUM CLEANER WITH A SEPARATING DEVICE ARRANGED IN SUCTION TUBING

This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner connected to a suction nozzle by suction tubing comprising a flexible hose and an extension tube pivotally connected to the suction nozzle.

When vacuum cleaning, small objects nobody wishes to lose, such as jewellery, receipts, small toys, etc. may inadvertently be sucked up into the vacuum cleaner and lost. It has hitherto been proposed to arrange a grille in a suction duct in order to prevent objects from passing through the duct in an uncontrolled manner. In practice, there is a great demand for a corresponding solution to the same problem in vacuum cleaning, although a number of difficulties arise in this respect that have to be solved in a practicable manner. An indication must of course be given that an object has been separated and needs to be dealt with and it must be possible for the object to be dealt with in a simple manner requiring little work. Measures must furthermore be taken to prevent the grille from becoming clogged by dust and dirt entrained by the air sucked up into the vacuum cleaner through the separating device.

The aim of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner which has the abovementioned advantages without the said disadvantages.

This is achieved according to the invention in that one section of the suction tubing is designed as an at least partially transparent housing consisting of two tubular parts bearing against one another end to end with openings directed towards one another with edges bearing against one another in a sealing manner and flexibly connected to one another by a hinge, the opening of the downstream tubular part being designed to receive a separating device in the form of a grille or mesh for separating objects of predetermined minimum dimensions from the air sucked up by the nozzle.

As a result of the fact that the two tubular parts of the housing are flexibly connected to one another by a hinge, when a separated object is observed through the wall of the transparent housing, it is easy to move its tubular parts apart in such a manner that the separating device is exposed and one hand is then free to pick out an object on the separating device and, if necessary, turn it over in order to clean the side that may be dirty. The vacuum cleaner may be operative in the meantime and the extension tube remains suspended from the upstream tubular part, as a result of which the tubular parts simply have to be closed up again in order to continue with vacuum cleaning.

As vacuum cleaning continues, it may be observed that dirt and waste material have accumulated in front of the separator. The separating device is therefore advantageously mounted with an axis of rotation extending across the opening of the downstream part and is pivotally mounted in this part and provided with a twist grip disposed on the outside of the part. If required, the handle then simply has to be rotated one half turn in order to clean the separating device. The housing may in principle preferably be disposed between the nozzle and the vacuum cleaner, although according to one particular embodiment, the housing is arranged at the transition between the suction hose and the extension tube, the extension tube advantageously having a curved part which is substantially horizontal during normal vacuum cleaning. By virtue of the hinge arranged on the underside of the housing, the tubular part provided with the separating device is directed upwards and easily accessible when the housing is opened.

The separating device may for obvious reasons be designed in various ways and several particular practical embodiments will be clear from the following dependent claims.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings showing several embodiments of the vacuum cleaner according to the invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner with a suction nozzle and suction tubing,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a housing according to the invention incorporated into the suction tubing in the open position with a first embodiment of a separating grille,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the housing of Fig. 1 in the closed position,

Figure 4 is a section through the opening part of the housing showing another embodiment of a separating grille arranged in the opening,

Figure 5 is a top view of the opening part of Fig. 4, and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through part of the housing of Fig. 3 with an embodiment of a separating mesh.

Figure 1 shows a vacuum cleaner 1 with a suction nozzle 2 and suction tubing 3 in the form of a flexible suction hose 4 and a rigid extension tube 5 connecting the nozzle to the vacuum cleaner. A housing 6 consisting of two tubular parts 8, 9 flexibly connected to one another by a hinge 10 and including a separating device 7 in the opening of the downstream tubular part 9 is

incorporated at the transition between the hose and the extension tube.

The housing 6 with the separating device 7 is shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The housing is shown in the open position and the separating device 7 is arranged in the opening of the downstream tubular part 9. In this embodiment, it consists of an annular grille mounted to rotate about a diametrical axis of rotation with two bearing journals 11 and 12 each mounted in a recessed manner in its own bearing bush 13, 14 in the edge part of the opening of the tubular part 9. The bearing journal 12 is provided with a twist grip 15 by means of which the

separating grille 7 can be rotated and held in the position shown and in a position displaced through a further 90° by means of a friction brake (not shown). The tubular part 8 is provided on the outside with an axially projecting locking arm 16 with a locking boss 17 which slides into the tubular part 9 when the tubular parts 8, 9 are closed up and then along the inside of the wall thereof until the boss 17 springs out through an opening 18 in the wall of the tubular part 9 and thus locks the tubular parts 8, 9 in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The housing 6 is situated in this position during vacuum cleaning with the grille 7 in the position shown in Fig. 2. The housing is made entirely or partially of transparent plastic material and the grille 7 has openings adapted in such a manner that the normal dust, dirt and the like normally entrained by the air flow through the suction tubing can pass through to the collecting container of the vacuum cleaner. However, any object larger than the openings in the grille is stopped and left lying on the grille. This will often be heard, but it is otherwise easy to see into the housing, which is transparent and in practice is situated immediately in front of the person operating the vacuum cleaner. In order to pick out an object lying on the grille, it is simply necessary to hold on to the extension tube 5 with one hand, press in the boss 17 on the locking arm 16, move the tubular parts 8, 9 apart and pick out the object with the free hand. The vacuum cleaner may advantageously be operative in the meantime so that nothing on the grille can fall out in the event of a careless movement. If no objects have to be picked out of the grille, the housing 6 does not have to be opened and the objects are sucked away normally if the grille is rotated through 180° with the aid of the twist grip 15. Should thread-like objects become stuck in the grille, it can be rotated through 90° and the objects can be picked out freely by hand once the housing has been opened. If necessary, the grille can be removed from the housing temporarily for cleaning or to be replaced by a new grille.

In the case of more difficult vacuum cleaning operations, such as in a home with one or more long-haired dogs, a grille which is easier to free of thread-like objects, hairs or the like may be preferred. A grille of this kind is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and consists of a number of parallel pins 21 extending across the opening of the downstream tubular part 9 and through holes 22 provided for each pin 21 in the wall of the tubular part 9. One end of each pin 21 extends slightly beyond the hole 22, where it is fixedly connected to a handle 23. By pulling the handle 23 outwards until a stop 24 on the centre pins stops the movement, everything stuck to and around the pins is rubbed off against the inside of the wall of the tubular part 9, after which the handle with the pins can be moved back again.

As shown in Fig. 6, the separating device may alternatively consist of a type of filter bag 31 with fine holes 32 suspended from the downstream tubular part 9 by means of an annular stiffener 33 clamped between the end surfaces of the tubular parts 8, 9. The locking arm 16 with the locking boss 17 on the tubular part 8 is in this case designed to cooperate with a cover 34 arranged on the outside of the tubular part 9 and having a side opening 35 into which the locking boss 17 snaps when the housing 6 is closed.

The majority of what is entrained by the air on the way to the usual collecting container of the vacuum cleaner is collected in the filter bag 31. The purpose of this is to check the filter bag after each vacuum cleaning operation if required and then dispose of it and replace it with a new filter bag. This not only offers control over what is sucked up, but also significantly reduces the accumulation of what is often ultimately nasty-smelling waste material in the vacuum cleaner, in which only dust and extremely fine particles are collected.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention defined by the claims. The housing 6 with the separating device may alternatively be disposed at different points along the suction tubing, even at the connection between the extension tube 5 and the suction nozzle 2, although an arrangement of this kind is less practical from the point of view of the user. The separating device may furthermore of course be designed in a different manner to that shown here and may be recessed slightly within the tubular part 9.

Claims

1. Vacuum cleaner connected to a suction nozzle (2) by suction tubing (3) comprising a flexible hose (4) and an extension tube (5) pivotally connected to the suction nozzle, characterised in that one section of the suction tubing (3) is designed as an at least partially transparent housing (6) consisting of two tubular parts (8, 9) bearing against one another end to end with openings directed towards one another with edges bearing against one another in a sealing manner and flexibly connected to one another by a hinge (10), the opening of the downstream tubular part (9) being designed to receive a separating device (7) in the form of a grille or mesh for separating objects of predetermined minimum dimensions from the air sucked up by the nozzle.

2. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , characterised in that the separating device (7) is mounted with an axis of rotation (11 , 12) extending across the opening of the downstream tubular part (9) and is pivotally mounted in this tubular part and provided with a twist grip (15) disposed on the outside of the tubular part.

3. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the housing (6) is arranged at the transition between the suction hose (4) and the extension tube (5) and the hinge (10) of the housing is arranged on the underside of the housing (6).

4. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , characterised in that the separator consists of a number of parallel pins (21) which extend across the opening of the downstream tubular part (9) and through holes (22) provided for each pin in the wall of the part and are fixed to a handle (23) disposed on the outside of the wall, by means of which the pins can be manoeuvred to and fro across the opening.

5. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , characterised in that the separating device is in the form of a filter bag (31) of mesh material with an opening provided with an annular stiffener (33) clamped between the two end parts of the tubular parts (8, 9).

6. Vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised ϊn that the separating device (7) is removably arranged on the downstream tubular part (9).