Patent Application
20180008107
The invention relates to a floor vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaners are available in a variety of different configurations or designs. The best-known designs include the upright vacuum cleaner, the hand-held vacuum cleaner, and the floor vacuum cleaner.
An upright vacuum cleaner comprises a movable base unit above which an upper body with a vacuum cleaner container is arranged, where the two parts are mounted so as to be pivotable relative to each other. An electrically driven brush is typically provided in the base unit. An upright vacuum cleaner is shown, for example, in EP 2 030 551. Such vacuum cleaners are sometimes referred to as brush/beater vacuum cleaners.
The hand-held vacuum cleaner comprises a housing with a motor-driven fan and a dust collection chamber. A suction tube on one side is led out from the housing, at the end of which a floor nozzle is disposed. Disposed on the other side of the housing is a handle, optionally on a rod.
Floor vacuum cleaners comprise a housing which is mounted on rollers and/or runners. A dust collection container is arranged in the housing and contains a filter bag. A floor nozzle is via a suction tube and a suction hose connected to the dust collection chamber. In conventional floor vacuum cleaners, a motorized fan unit is further arranged in the housing and creates a negative pressure in the dust collection container. In the air flow direction, the motorized fan unit is therefore arranged downstream of the floor nozzle, the suction tube, the suction hose, and the dust collection container or the filter bag, respectively. Since cleaned air passes though such motorized fan units, they are sometimes referred to as clean air motors.
Particularly in former times, there were also vacuum cleaners in which the suctioned dirty air was passed directly through the motor fan and into a dust bag directly attached downstream. Examples thereof are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,101,390, U.S. Pat. No. 2,036,056 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,337. These forms of vacuum cleaners are nowadays no longer very common.
Such dirty air or fouled air motor fans are also referred to as a “dirty air motor” or “direct air motor”. The use of such dirty air motors is also described in documents GB 554 177, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,606, U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,112, US 2002/0159897, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,369, US 2003/0202890 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,054.
Against this background, the object underlying the invention is to provide an improved floor vacuum cleaner.
This object is satisfied with the subject matter of claim 1. A floor vacuum cleaner is according to the invention provided comprising a dust collector arrangement mounted on rollers and/or runners, a suction hose, a suction tube, and a floor nozzle,
wherein the floor nozzle is fluidically connected to the dust collector arrangement via the suction tube and the suction hose,
wherein the dust collector arrangement comprises a dust separator,
wherein the dust collector arrangement comprises a motorized fan unit for suctioning an air stream through the floor nozzle, wherein the motorized fan unit is arranged so that an air stream suctioned in through the floor nozzle, the suction tube and the suction hose flows through the motorized fan unit into the dust separator,
wherein the dust collector arrangement has a housing and the motorized fan unit is mounted on or in the housing,
wherein the dust separator is mounted in the housing.
A dirty air motor or direct air motor is thereby advantageously used in a floor vacuum cleaner. Even with low motor power, a high volumetric flow can be obtained with the floor vacuum cleaner according to the invention. A dirty air motor, for example, has a maximum rotational speed of less than 30,000 rpm and an electrical input power of less than 900 W.
In the direction of the air stream, the floor nozzle, sometimes referred to as a “suction nozzle”, is arranged upstream of the suction tube, the suction tube is arranged upstream of the suction hose, and the suction hose is arranged upstream of the dust collector arrangement. The air suctioned by way of the motorized fan unit flows in the following sequence through the floor nozzle, through the suction tube and through the suction hose into the dust collector arrangement. The air is there passed through the motorized fan unit into the dust separator. In the dust collector arrangement, the motorized fan unit is therefore arranged fluidically upstream of the dust separator. Due to the fluidic connection, an continuous air stream is ensured through the floor nozzle, the suction tube, the suction hose into the dust collector arrangement and in particular through the motorized fan unit into the dust separator.
It has surprisingly been found that dirty air motors can also be advantageously used in floor vacuum cleaners, in particular in order to convey suctioned dirty air into a downstream dust separator.
In contrast to conventional floor vacuum cleaners where negative pressure is present in the dust collector arrangement or the dust collection chamber during operation, overpressure is in the floor vacuum cleaner according to the invention present in the dust collector arrangement or its housing, respectively. In this way, the wall thicknesses of the dust collector arrangement can be reduced or reinforcing elements (such as, for example, reinforcing ribs) can be used to a lesser extent or even completely avoided.
The housing can comprise a housing wall which is in particular made of plastic material.
The arrangement of the dust separator within the housing of the dust collector arrangement and the arrangement of the motorized fan unit on or in the housing allow for a compact design of the dust collector arrangement and thereby of the floor vacuum cleaner as a whole.
The motorized fan unit can (in particular during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner) be arranged on top of or above the dust separator or at the same height as the dust separator. The motorized fan unit is therefore, in particular, not arranged below the dust separator. Conveying the dirty air through the motorized fan unit thereby does not have to occur against gravity, or only to a small extent.
The motorized fan unit can have an in particular single stage radial fan. In a radial fan, the air is suctioned parallel or axially relative to the drive axis of the fan wheel and deflected by the rotation of the fan wheel, in particular by approximately 90°, and blown out radially.
The rotational axis of the radial fan can during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner be oriented vertical or at an angle of at most 60°, in particular of at most 45°, relative to the vertical direction.
The motorized fan unit can be arranged on the housing. In particular, the dust separator can during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner be arranged below the motorized fan unit or at the same height.
The motorized fan unit can be configured in such a way that, with an aperture of 8, it has a volumetric flow of more than 30 l/s, in particular of more than 40 l/s, and in particular of more than 50 l/s, at an electrical input power of less than 900 W according to DIN EN 60312-1. The motorized fan unit can alternatively or additionally be configured in such a way that, with an aperture of 8, it has a volumetric flow of more than 25 l/s, in particular of more than 30 l/s, and in particular of more than 40 l/s, at an electrical input power of less than 600 W according to DIN EN 60312-1. The motorized fan unit can alternatively or additionally be configured in such a way that, with an aperture of 8, it has a volumetric flow of more than 15 l/s, in particular of more than 25 l/s, and in particular of more than 30 l/s, at an electrical input power of less than 300 W according to DIN EN 60312-1.
In this way, a particularly efficient floor vacuum cleaner is obtained.
The air data of a vacuum cleaner or a motorized fan unit is determined according to DIN EN 60312-1: 2014-01. In particular section 5.8 is made reference to. Measuring device B according to section 7.3.7.3 is there used. If a motorized fan unit without a vacuum cleaner housing is measured, then measuring device B is likewise used. For possibly necessary adapters for connecting to the measuring chamber, the descriptions in section 7.3.7.1 apply.
The terms “volumetric flow” and “suction air flow” are also used for the term “air stream” according to DIN EN 60312-1.
The floor nozzle can have a base plate with a base surface which during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner faces the surface to be suctioned, where the base plate has at least one air flow channel parallel to the base surface with an opening provided laterally in the base plate. In particular, the base plate with its base surface can during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner rest on the surface to be suctioned or, for example, be spaced thereform by way of a bristle strip.
The bottom plate is also referred to as a nozzle sole. The floor nozzle comprises a suction opening for producing a fluidic connection with the motorized fan unit. This suction opening is in fluidic connection with the at least one air flow channel. With the at least one, in particular, one or more air flow channels, the contact pressure of the floor nozzle is advantageously adjusted for good suction power. The openings being provided laterally in the base plate are provided transverse to the intended sliding direction of the floor nozzle. One or more air flow channels can be provided from one side of the base plate to the opposite side of the base plate (in each case transverse to the sliding direction). In such end-to-end air flow channels, one opening is provided for each channel on either (opposite) side of the base plate.
The suction tube can have a diameter in a range from 25 mm to 50 mm, in particular from 30 mm to 45 mm, and in particular from 35 mm to 45 mm, and/or a length in a range from 600 mm to 1200 mm. The suction tube can be formed to be rigid, in particular such that it can by a user not be deformed during the intended use. The suction tube can be partially or completely made of plastic material or metal.
The suction hose can have a diameter in a range from 25 mm to 50 mm, in particular from 30 mm to 45 mm, and in particular from 35 mm to 45 mm, and/or a length in a range from 1000 mm to 2500 mm. The suction hose can be configured to be flexible, in particular such that it can be deformed by a user when used as intended. The suction hose can be partially or completely made of plastic material. It can in particular comprise a plastic wall and/or a reinforcement made of metal (for example a spiral wire).
The suction tube and/or the suction hose can have a constant or a variable diameter over their respective lengths. The suction tube and/or the suction hose can in particular have a tapering shape, where the diameter is preferably reduced towards the floor nozzle. The above-mentioned diameters refer in particular to the smallest diameter of the suction tube or of the suction hose, respectively.
The dust collector arrangement can be configured and/or the motorized fan unit can be arranged such that no contact between the fan wheel of the motorized fan unit and a test probe according to IEC/EN 60335 is possible through the floor nozzle. Reference is there made to section 8 of the version DIN EN 60335-1: 2012-10. In particular, test probe B is to be used.
This reduces the risk of damaging the motorized fan unit and the risk of injury when touching the floor nozzle while the motor is running.
The floor vacuum cleaner can be a bag vacuum cleaner, in particular having a filter area of at least 800 cm2. A bag vacuum cleaner is a vacuum cleaner in which the suctioned dust is separated and collected in a vacuum cleaner filter bag. The floor vacuum cleaner can in particular be a bag vacuum cleaner for disposable bags.
The filter area of a vacuum cleaner filter bag designates the entire area of the filter material which is located between or within the edge seams (for example welding or adhesive seams). Any side or surface folds that may be present also need to be considered. The area of the bag filling opening or inlet opening (including a seam surrounding this opening) is not part of the filter area.
The vacuum cleaner filter bag can be a flat bag or have a block bottom shape. A flat bag is formed by two side walls made of filter material which are joined together (for example welded or glued) along their peripheral edges. The bag filling opening or inlet opening can be provided in one of the two side walls. The side faces or walls can each have a rectangular basic shape. Each side wall can comprise one or more layers of nonwoven and/or nonwoven fabric.
The floor vacuum cleaner in the form of a bag vacuum cleaner can comprise a vacuum cleaner filter bag, where the vacuum cleaner filter bag is designed in the form of a flat bag and/or a disposable bag.
The bag wall of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can comprise one or more layers of a nonwoven and/or one or more layers of nonwoven fabric. It can in particular comprise a laminate of one or more layers of nonwoven and/or one or more layers of nonwoven fabric. Such a laminate is described, for example, in WO 2007/068444.
The term nonwoven fabric is used within the meaning of standard DIN EN ISO 9092:2010. In particular, film and paper structures, in particular filter paper, are there not regarded as being nonwoven fabric. “Nonwoven” is a structure made of fibers and/or continuous filaments or short fiber yarns shaped into a surface structure by some method (except interlacing of yarns such as woven fabric, knitwear, lace, or tufted fabric) but not bonded by some method. With a bonding process, a nonwoven turns into nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven or nonwoven fabric can be dry laid, wet laid or extruded.
The floor vacuum cleaner can comprise a blow-out filter, in particular having a filter area of at least 800 cm2. The blow-out filter can in particular be configured to be pleated or folded. This makes it possible to obtain a large surface area at a smaller base area. The blow-out filter can be provided in a holder, as described, for example, in European patent application No. 14179375.2. Such blow-out filters allow the use of vacuum cleaner filter bags with low separation efficiency, for example, of single-layer vacuum cleaner filter bags. For example, a bag can be used as a vacuum cleaner filter bag with low separation efficiency in which the filter material of the bag wall consists of a spunbond with a surface weight of 15 g/m2 to 100 g/m2. The vacuum cleaner filter bag can therefore be formed in particular having a single layer. For example, a bag can alternatively be used in which the filter material of the bag wall consists of a laminate made of a spun-bond, a meltblown and a further spunbond (SMS).
Alternatively, the floor vacuum cleaner can be a bagless vacuum cleaner, in particular with a blow-out filter as described above having a filter area of at least 800 cm2. A bagless vacuum cleaner is a vacuum cleaner in which the suctioned dust is separated and collected without a vacuum cleaner filter bag. In this case, the dust collector arrangement can comprise an impact separator or a centrifugal separator or a cyclone separator.
The above-described floor vacuum cleaners can comprise a second motorized fan unit. The second motorized fan unit can be a dirty air motor or a clean air motor (as described above).
In particular in the case of a dirty air motor, the second motorized fan unit can be arranged, for example, between the suction tube and the first motorized fan unit such that a suctioned air stream flows through the second motorized fan unit into the first motorized fan unit and then into the dust separator. The second motorized fan unit can in particular be arranged fluidically directly upstream of the first motorized fan unit.
In particular in the case of a clean air motor, the second motorized fan unit can be arranged fluidically downstream of the dust collector unit.
The first and second motorized fan units can have the same or different electrical power input. The electrical input power of each motorized fan unit can in particular be between 50 and 400 W. The sum of the electrical input power of both motorized fan units can in particular be at most 700 W.
It has shown that the use of a second assist motorized fan unit positively influences the clogging behavior of a vacuum cleaner filter bag and a high volumetric flow can be obtained. This results in good dust collection by the floor nozzle.
In principle, the floor nozzle can be an active or a passive floor nozzle. An active floor nozzle has a brush roller (sometimes also referred to as a beating and/or rotation brush) in the suction opening. The brush roller can be driven electro-motorically A passive floor nozzle has no brush roller.
In the floor vacuum cleaners described, very good efficiency and suction performance can on account of the overall design also be obtained with a passive floor nozzle, i.e. without a brush roller. When passive floor nozzles are used, the design and therefore also the weight of the floor nozzle is simplified, which simplifies handling.
Further features are described with reference to the figures, where
Suction tube 5 is formed to be rigid so that it can not be deformed by a user during the intended use. The material of suction tube 5 can be plastic material or metal. The connection between the suction tube and the suction hose can formed to be detachable in a nondestructive manner or detachable not in a nondestructive manner. A handle 6 is also attached to suction tube 5.
Floor vacuum cleaner 1 further comprises a floor nozzle 7 connected to suction tube 5.
Dust collector arrangement 2 comprises a housing 8, presently being shown schematically in a cross-sectional view, on which a motorized fan unit 9 is arranged. A tube member 10 leads from motorized fan unit 9 into the interior of housing 8. Arranged inside housing 8 is a vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 which forms the dust separator. The vacuum cleaner filter bag can be removably attached in the interior of the housing in a conventional manner, for example, by way of a holding plate.
In the arrangement shown, an continuous fluidic connection to dust separator 11 is therefore established by floor nozzle 7, suction tube 5, suction hose 4, motorized fan unit 9 and tube member 10. Motorized fan unit 9 is there arranged between suction hose 4 and dust separator 11 so that dirty air suctioned through the floor nozzle flows through motorized fan unit 9 (in particular via tube member 10) into vacuum cleaner filter bag 11.
Motorized fan unit 9 is therefore a dirty air motor. This is in particular a motorized fan unit comprising a radial fan. The motorized fan unit has a fan wheel the axis of which is during intended use tilted relative to the surface to be suctioned and relative to the intended sliding direction of the floor nozzle, and is thereby also arranged tilted with respect to the perpendicular direction. The angle between the perpendicular direction and the fan wheel axis is less than 45°, so that the fan wheel axis is also not arranged parallel to the surface to be suctioned and to the intended sliding direction.
The fan diameter can be 60 mm to 160 mm. A motorized fan unit, for example, from the company AMETEK, Inc. can be used, which is also used in Soniclean Upright vacuum cleaners (e.g. SONICLEAN VT PLUS).
The motorized fan unit of the SONICLEAN VT PLUS was characterized according to DIN EN 60312-1: 2014-01 as explained above. The motorized fan unit was measured without the vacuum cleaner housing. For possibly necessary adapters for connection to the measuring chamber, the descriptions in section 7.3.7.1 apply. The table shows that high volumetric flows are obtained at low rotational speeds and low input power.
Air is during operation sucked in by motorized fan unit 9. The air stream there enters vacuum cleaner 1 through an opening of floor nozzle 7 and flows through suction tube 5 and suction hose 4 into motorized fan unit 9. Due to the arrangement of motorized fan unit 9—in the air stream direction—upstream of dust separator 11 (in the form of a vacuum cleaner filter bag), there is an overpressure in housing 8 as well as in dust separator 11.
In conventional floor vacuum cleaners, the motorized fan unit is installed in the dust collector arrangement in the air stream direction downstream of the dust separator, for example, the vacuum cleaner filter bag, which results in particular in that the housing of the dust collector arrangement is subjected to a negative pressure. In order to avoid deformation of the housing due to the negative pressure, the latter must typically be reinforced, for example, using respective reinforcement ribs. In the configuration illustrated in
The example shown in
When using in particular single-layer vacuum cleaner filter bags in which the bag wall is composed, for example, of exactly one nonwoven fabric layer in the form of a spunbond, the use of a blow-out filter is advantageous. The dust filter can be used to filter fine dust which has not been separated in the vacuum cleaner filter bag. Such a blow-out filter can have an area of at least 800 cm2. It can in particular be formed to be pleated or folded in order to have a large surface area at a smaller base area (than the surface area).
By virtue of the arrangement of the motorized fan unit 9 on and on top of housing 8, a compact structure of dust collector arrangement 2 can be obtained. In the example shown, the motorized fan unit is arranged above dust separator 11.
Suction hose 4 typically has a diameter in a range of 25 mm to 50 mm and a length in a range of 1000 mm to 2500 mm. Suction tube 5 typically has a diameter in a range of 25 mm to 50 mm and a length in a range of 600 mm to 1200 mm.
Suction tube 5 is formed to be rigid and suction hose 4 is formed to be flexible.
In this case, the rotational axis of the fan wheel of motorized fan unit 9 is during the intended use vertical, i.e., perpendicular (in particular perpendicular to the surface to be suctioned). The fan wheel therefore in this example rotates in a plane parallel to the surface to be suctioned.
The suctioned air enters from suction hose 4 into motorized fan unit 9, from where it flows into tube member 10 and thereafter into vacuum cleaner filter bag 11. Accordingly, an overpressure is present in tube member 10 and in housing 8.
The example shown in
The centrifugal or cyclone separator shown comprises a housing 8, on and on top of which motorized fan unit 9 is arranged.
In particular in the case of bagless vacuum cleaners, the dust collector arrangement comprises a blow-out filter with which fine dust is filtered that has not been separated in the centrifugal separator. This blow-out filter can have an area of at least 800 cm2. It can in particular be formed to be pleated or folded in order to have a large surface area at a smaller base area. The blow-out filter can there be provided in a holder, as described in European patent application No. 14179375.2.
In addition to the one motorized fan unit employed in the examples shown, the floor vacuum cleaner can also comprise a second, assist motorized fan unit. It has been found that the use of two motorized fan units during operation of the floor vacuum cleaner can result in a lower suction power loss as compared to the use of a single motorized fan unit, even if the sum of the electric input power of the two motorized fan units is equal to the electric input power of the one motorized fan unit.
The second motorized fan unit can be designed as a dirty air motor and can be arranged fluidically (directly) upstream of the first motorized fan unit and therefore upstream of the dust collector unit so that the dirty air flows through the second motorized fan unit. The two motorized fan units can have identical or different electrical power inputs.
Alternatively, the second motorized fan unit can be designed as a clean air motor and can be arranged fluidically downstream of the dust collector unit. For example, a motorized fan unit from the company Domel with the model name 467.3.601-4 (to be acquired from Domel, doo Otoki 21, 4228 {circumflex over (Z)}elezniki, Slovenija) can be used. In either embodiments, it is not necessary that a brush roller (for example a beating brush and/or a rotating brush) be provided on or in floor nozzle 7.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15151740.6 | Jan 2015 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/079463 | 12/11/2015 | WO | 00 |
