Patent Application
20230371764
The present invention relates to the field of vacuum cleaners for vacuuming dust and small particle size waste present on a surface to be cleaned, which may for example be tile, parquet, laminate, carpet or a rug.
A vacuum cleaner, and more particularly a handheld vacuum cleaner, is known to comprise:
“Waste separation device” refers to a separation device, for example a filtration device using at least one filter medium or a cyclone device using at least one cyclone, which is capable of separating waste and/or dust from the intake air stream. The waste and/or dust is hereinafter referred to as “waste.”
For this type of handheld vacuum cleaner, a compromise has been sought for several years between suction efficiency, waste storage capacity in the removable tank, compactness and lightness so that the handheld vacuum cleaner can remain manageable.
In order to reduce the size of handheld vacuum cleaners and reduce their outer dimensions, some manufacturers have, for example, sought to reduce the thickness of the inner and outer walls of handheld vacuum cleaners, while others have sought to reduce the size of the suction unit. Reducing the thickness of the inner or outer walls of handheld vacuum cleaners generally takes place at the expense of their robustness, thus reducing the overall life span of handheld vacuum cleaners which are more sensitive to impacts, for example. Reducing the size of the suction units without changing the motor technology is often accompanied by a decrease in suction power and lower vacuuming performance.
The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the aforementioned disadvantages.
The technical problem behind the invention consists in particular in providing a handheld vacuum cleaner with improved lightness and compactness without otherwise impairing the robustness of the appliance and the performance of the vacuum cleaner.
To this end, the present invention relates to a handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
According to the present invention, the suction unit casing comprises a second wall which at least partially covers the first wall. The second wall is formed apart from the first wall to define, at least in part, an internal space in the handheld vacuum cleaner that extends between the first wall and the second wall.
The present invention makes it possible to provide an internal space in the handheld vacuum cleaner adjacent to the suction unit. This internal space is formed in the casing of the suction unit. In other words, the walls of the suction unit casing make it possible to provide a protective casing around the suction unit as well as to create an internal space in the handheld vacuum cleaner that is functional for the vacuum cleaner; that is, an internal space that is designed to form an airflow duct or to receive a functional sub-assembly of the handheld vacuum cleaner such as, for example, a noise attenuator or damper, an electronic board for controlling or activating the handheld vacuum cleaner or a filter that is part of the airflow circuit, etc.
Providing such an internal space that is directly in the suction unit casing while being functional for the handheld vacuum cleaner makes it possible to reduce the number of walls that would have been necessary to create such an internal space had it not been incorporated into the suction unit casing and ultimately makes the handheld vacuum cleaner lighter and more compact while preserving the robustness of the appliance and without altering the performance of the vacuum cleaner.
The handheld vacuum cleaner may also have one or more of the following features, taken alone or in combination.
Advantageously, the first wall and the second wall of the suction unit casing are manufactured in one piece. The first wall and the second wall are obtained, for example, by plastic injection molding.
This feature makes it easier to manufacture the suction unit casing.
Advantageously, the electric motor comprises an output shaft with a rotary axis, the output shaft being coupled to the fan.
The first wall and the second wall are partially annular in shape around the rotary axis. The first wall and the second wall thus define a partially annular internal space around the suction unit. In this configuration, the internal space does not extend all around the suction unit. For example, the internal space could have a “C” shape that extends partially around the suction unit. To meet the needs of certain vacuum cleaner configurations, a “C”-shaped internal space makes it easier to provide, for example, through-channels for wires or air ducts that do not pass through the internal space. This configuration thus makes it possible to optimize the internal space in the presence of constraints such as, for example, through-channels for electrical wires or air ducts that cannot pass through the internal space.
Advantageously, the first wall and the second wall are annular in shape, for example tubular or frustoconical, substantially coaxial to the rotary axis. The first wall and the second wall thus define, at least in part, an annular internal space that extends around the suction unit.
This configuration makes it possible to optimize the internal space that extends around the suction unit. For example, a large, functional sub-assembly such as a dust filter can be placed in this annular internal space while limiting the impact on the outer diameter of the handheld vacuum cleaner.
Advantageously, the first wall and the second wall are connected by at least one connecting wall. The first wall, the second wall and the connecting wall are made in one piece, preferably in one piece obtained by plastic injection molding. This configuration makes the suction unit casing easy to manufacture.
Advantageously, the connecting wall extends radially, relative to the rotary axis of the electric motor, between the first wall and the second wall.
Advantageously, the connecting wall is in the shape of an annular disk.
In an alternative embodiment, the first wall and the second wall are connected by connecting arms. In this case, the first wall, the second wall and the connecting arms are advantageously made in one piece, preferably in a single piece obtained by plastic injection molding.
Advantageously, the suction unit casing comprises an access opening for accessing the internal space. The connecting wall is preferably formed on a side of the suction unit casing that is opposite the access opening.
The access opening makes it possible to easily insert or remove a removable sub-assembly of the vacuum cleaner, such as a removable filter. The access opening also makes it easier to unmold the suction unit casing and thus to manufacture it more easily, particularly when it is obtained in one piece by plastic injection molding.
Advantageously, the internal space formed between the first wall and the second wall forms a chamber or a duct located on the airflow circuit. An air flow generated by the suction unit passes through the chamber or duct when the handheld vacuum cleaner is being operated. When the internal space forms a duct, this is typically an airflow duct for conveying air into the handheld vacuum cleaner. When the internal space forms a chamber, this chamber can be used to house a functional sub-assembly of the handheld vacuum cleaner such as a filter, a noise attenuator or damper forming part of the airflow circuit. The internal space as defined can therefore create or receive features that are essential to the handheld vacuum cleaner.
Advantageously, the internal space extending between the first wall and the second wall forms a filter chamber in which a filter, preferably a removable filter, is placed, the filter chamber and the filter being arranged in the airflow circuit and through which an air flow generated by the suction unit passes when the handheld vacuum cleaner is being operated. The filter chamber and filter are arranged in the airflow circuit downstream of the suction unit.
Although the internal space is also designed to receive a filter that is part of an upstream portion of the airflow circuit, that is, upstream of the suction unit, forming the internal space next to or around the suction unit makes it possible to further optimize the airflow circuit in terms of pressure losses and overall dimensions when this internal space is used for a filter chamber and a removable filter that are part of the downstream portion of the airflow circuit, namely, the portion of the airflow circuit downstream of the suction unit.
Advantageously, the filter chamber is defined at least partially by the first wall, the second wall and the connecting wall. The access opening enables the filter to be installed or removed.
Advantageously, the filter chamber and filter have an annular shape that extends around the suction unit.
Advantageously, the filter chamber comprises at least one air inlet formed in the connecting wall. The air inlet on the filter chamber is in aeraulic communication with an air outlet on the suction unit, and the filter chamber comprises at least one air outlet that is formed in the second wall.
Advantageously, the first wall has no opening.
Advantageously, at least a portion of the second wall forms at least one wall of the vacuum cleaner housing.
This configuration makes it possible to define the internal space between walls that are already present in a conventional vacuum cleaner. The internal space can therefore be formed with fewer walls than in a conventional vacuum cleaner, making the handheld vacuum cleaner even lighter and more compact. This configuration also makes it possible to maximize the internal space between the protective casing of the suction unit and the vacuum cleaner housing. Moreover, since the first wall and the second wall are part of the same one-piece part, forming the internal space between the protective casing of the suction unit and the vacuum cleaner housing does not alter the robustness of the handheld vacuum cleaner in this place.
When the second wall forms a wall of the vacuum cleaner housing, said at least one air outlet is the exhaust port. This configuration makes it possible to limit the number of ducts in the handheld vacuum cleaner and to simplify it.
Advantageously, the second wall of the suction unit casing is positioned between the removable tank and a rear part of the vacuum cleaner housing in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the motor.
Advantageously, the access opening that provides access to the internal space faces the removable tank.
According to this configuration of the invention, a functional subassembly of the vacuum cleaner, such as a removable filter, can be easily removed from the internal space through the access opening when the removable tank has been detached from the vacuum cleaner housing. When the removable tank is attached to the vacuum cleaner housing, the removable filter is made inaccessible and cannot be removed from the internal space through the access opening.
Advantageously, the separation device is housed in the removable tank such that it can be separated from the vacuum cleaner housing along with the removable tank.
This construction makes it possible to remove the separation device with the removable tank to make it easier to subsequently remove and clean the separation device.
Advantageously, the removable tank is removably attached to the vacuum cleaner housing and contacts the vacuum cleaner housing via a contact surface formed on the vacuum cleaner housing.
Advantageously, the contact surface is substantially annular, the internal space and the access opening are radially formed within the substantially annular contact surface.
Advantageously, the contact surface is formed by a substantially annular axial end of the second wall of the suction unit casing.
The substantially annular contact surface can be easily achieved on the second wall of the suction unit casing and makes it possible for the removable tank to make evenly-distributed contact with the vacuum cleaner housing when the tank is attached to the vacuum cleaner housing. Evenly-distributed contact of the removable tank with the vacuum cleaner housing makes it easier to achieve seals in this contact area.
The removable tank may be attached to the vacuum cleaner housing in various ways, in particular by a snap-on fitting with at least one notch and a locking latch, by a bayonet-type fitting, by a screw-on fitting or by any other means known to the person skilled in the art.
Advantageously, the waste separation device is a cyclone separator that has a main axis that is coaxial with the rotary axis of the electric motor output shaft.
The following description highlights the features and advantages of the present invention. This description is based on illustrations, including:
In the remainder of the description, the handheld vacuum cleaner is referred to as a vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum cleaner 1 also comprises a waste separation device 8 fitted on the airflow circuit 6 upstream 6.1 of the suction unit 7. An air flow generated by the suction unit 7 passes through the waste separation device 8 when the vacuum cleaner 1 is being operated. The vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a removable tank 9, also referred to as a waste storage container, for receiving and accumulating the waste separated by the waste separation device 8 and which is removably attached to the vacuum cleaner housing 2. The waste separation device 8 is advantageously arranged in the removable tank 9. In this case, the removable tank 9 forms a separation chamber. Preferably, the waste separation device 8 may be detached from the removable tank 9 to make it easier to empty the contents of the removable tank 9 when the latter has been detached from the vacuum cleaner housing 2. The air intake inlet 4 is connected to the separation chamber, which corresponds to the interior of the removable tank 9 by an air intake duct 4.1 (shown in
The vacuum cleaner 1 preferably comprises a battery pack 10 in the lower part of the vacuum cleaner. A bottom surface 10.1 of the battery pack 10 enables the vacuum cleaner to rest on a horizontal surface when the vacuum cleaner 1 is not in use (see
The vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a switch 11 for activating the vacuum cleaner, which controls, in particular, the activation of the suction unit 7 when it is switched on by the user.
The electric motor 7.1 comprises an output shaft 7.3 (shown in
Advantageously, and as shown in
The suction unit 7 is in the rear part 13 of the vacuum cleaner 1 and the waste separation device 8 is located in front of the suction unit 7.
The vacuum cleaner 1 further comprises a suction unit casing 12 that at least partially covers the suction unit 7. More specifically, the suction unit casing 12 comprises a first wall 12.3 that at least partially covers the suction unit 7.
The suction unit casing 12 is visible in
As shown in the figures, the suction unit 7 may comprise an intermediate casing 7.4 that is radially arranged inside the suction unit casing 12 relative to the rotary axis X of the electric motor 7.1.
The suction unit casing 12 comprises an air inlet opening 12.1 and an air outlet opening 12.2 which are in aeraulic communication with the suction unit 7 and which are arranged on either side of the suction unit 7 in the direction of the rotary axis X. The air inlet opening 12.1 communicates with an upstream part 6.1 of the airflow circuit 6 and the air outlet 12.2 communicates with a downstream part of the airflow circuit 6. In other words, the upstream part 6.1 of the airflow circuit 6 is located upstream of the suction unit 7 and extends between the intake inlet 4 and the suction unit 7. The downstream part 6.2 of the airflow circuit 6 is located downstream of the suction unit 7 and extends between the suction unit 7 and the exhaust ports 5.
The separation device 8 is arranged in the upstream part 6.1 of the airflow circuit 6.
In the embodiment shown in
To limit the amount of dust sucked into the suction unit 7, the vacuum cleaner may comprise, in addition to the waste separation device 8, an upstream filter 13 that is arranged in the airflow circuit between the waste separation device 8 and the suction unit 7. This upstream filter 13 is preferably removable; it is frustoconical in shape and is housed in a central portion of the cyclone separator.
To limit or prevent dust from escaping from the exhaust ports 5, the vacuum cleaner 1 preferably comprises, in addition to the waste separation device 8, a downstream filter 14 which is arranged in the downstream part 6.2 of the airflow circuit 6.
As shown more specifically in
The first wall 12.3 and the second wall 12.4 are advantageously annular in shape coaxial to the rotary axis X of the output shaft 7.3 of the electric motor 7.1. The first wall 12.3 and the second wall 12.4 define, at least in part, an annular internal space 15 that extends around the suction unit 7. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the first wall 12.3 and the second wall 12.4 are more specifically tubular in shape. In an alternative embodiment not shown, the first wall and second wall could also be substantially frustoconical in shape.
In another alternative embodiment not shown, the first wall and the second wall are partially annular in shape around the rotary axis of the electric motor such that the first wall and the second wall define a partially annular internal space around the suction unit. According to this alternative, the internal space could be, for example, in the shape of a ring section or a section with a “C” shape (unclosed ring).
According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the first wall 12.3 and the second wall 12.4 are joined by a connecting wall 12.5. As shown in
In another alternative embodiment (not shown) the first wall and the second wall could be connected by connecting arms radially extending between the first wall and the second wall. According to this alternative, the first wall 12.3, the second wall 12.4 and the connecting arms would be advantageously made in one piece, preferably in a single piece obtained by plastic injection molding.
According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the suction unit casing 12 comprises an access opening 12.6 for accessing the internal space 15. The connecting wall 12.5 is formed on a side of the suction unit casing 12 that is opposite the access opening 12.6. Thus, the inner space 15 is defined by walls 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5 of the suction unit casing 12 which, over one half-section, for example a half-section in
According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the internal space 15 forms a filter chamber in which a filter is placed. The filter chamber and the filter are arranged in the airflow circuit 6 and an air flow generated by the suction unit 7 passes through them when the vacuum cleaner 1 is being operated.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the filter chamber 15 is arranged on the downstream part 6.2 of the airflow circuit 6 and the filter is a downstream filter 14 as previously described.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the filter chamber 15 and the downstream filter 14 are annular in shape and extend around the suction unit 7.
The downstream filter 14 is preferably removable and the access opening 12.6 makes it possible to insert the filter 14 into the filter chamber or to remove the filter 14 when the removable tank 9 has been detached from the vacuum cleaner housing 2.
Indeed,
In alternative embodiments not shown, the internal space could receive, instead of a downstream filter, an upstream filter (part of the upstream part 6.1 of the airflow circuit 6) or another functional subassembly of the handheld vacuum cleaner such as, for example, a noise attenuator or damper, an electronic board for controlling or activating the handheld vacuum cleaner, etc. The internal space could also be used to define an air duct.
The filter chamber formed by the internal space 15 comprises at least one air inlet 12.7 formed on the connecting wall 12.5. As shown in
The first wall 12.3 advantageously has no opening.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, two portions of the second wall 12.4 form two walls 2.1 and 2.2 of the vacuum cleaner housing 2, and the air outlets formed in the second wall 12.6 form the exhaust ports 5, which in the present embodiment are formed on the walls 2.1 and 2.2. The walls 2.1 and 2.2 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the vacuum cleaner 1.
The second wall 12.4, which forms walls 2.1 and 2.2 of the vacuum cleaner housing 2, is arranged between the removable tank 9 and a rear part 2.3 of the vacuum cleaner housing 2 in a direction parallel to the rotary axis A of the electric motor 7.1.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the removable tank 9 is removably attached to the vacuum cleaner housing 2 via a contact surface 12.8 formed by a substantially annular axial end of the second wall 12.4 of the suction unit casing 12.
The removable tank 9 is reversibly attached to the vacuum cleaner housing 2. The 5 removable tank 9 may be attached to the vacuum cleaner housing 2 in various ways, in particular by a snap-on fitting, by a bayonet-type fitting, by a screw-on fitting or, as shown for example in
Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated, since this embodiment was only provided by way of example. Changes can still be made, particularly with regard to the constitution of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR2008437 | Aug 2020 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/071614 | 8/3/2021 | WO |
