Patent Application
20240407616
This claims the benefit of European Patent Application EP 23178650.0, filed on Jun. 12, 2023 and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a suction device having a duct for supplying cooling air for at least one component of the suction device, wherein the at least one component of the suction device is arranged within a housing of the suction device. In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for operating such a suction device.
Suction devices that can be used to remove dust, dirt or drilling slurry, e.g. on construction sites, are known from the prior art. Such industrial or construction site suction devices generally have a housing (“suction device housing”), in which the suction device components are arranged. Owing to the generation of heat, some of these components must be cooled during operation of the suction device. In the case of conventional suction devices of the kind that are known from the prior art, the air used for cooling the suction device components (“cooling air”) is often drawn in from the environment of the suction device.
However, drawing in cooling air from the environment of the suction device is frequently associated with relatively high losses since a long feed duct into the interior of the suction device often has to be used. Moreover, dust or dirt may enter the interior of the suction device via such “external” cooling air.
In addition, the cooling of the relevant components is often inadequate in conventional suction devices since the suction device components which are to be cooled are often arranged within the suction device in such a way that there is poor or only inadequate access for the cooling air. For example, the electronics unit of the suction device is often in close proximity to a power supply device when the suction device is a battery-operated suction device. Moreover, power cables of the suction device often run entirely or partially outside the well-cooled region within the suction device.
An object on which the present invention is based is that of overcoming the above-described defects and disadvantages of the prior art and of providing a suction device, the components of which can be cooled in an optimum manner, thus enabling damage to the components and failure thereof to be avoided in an effective way.
According to the invention, a suction device having a duct for supplying cooling air for at least one component of the suction device is provided, wherein the at least one component of the suction device is arranged within a housing of the suction device. In this case, the duct is designed in such a way that cooling air is drawn in from an interior space of the housing of the suction device and is led past the at least one component of the suction device. It is thereby advantageously possible to provide a suction device of which the components to be cooled can be cooled extremely well and with which it is possible to dispense with the drawing in of ambient air to cool the suction device components. In particular, this enables the cooling air to be drawn in in a diffuse manner from the interior space of the suction device housing and led past the at least one suction device component to be cooled. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the duct for supplying cooling air be referred to as a cooling (air) duct.
It has been found that, by means of the invention, it is possible to provide a particularly short cooling path that has to be travelled by the cooling air on the way to the suction device components to be cooled. Thus, the invention departs from the prior art, in which long feed paths for cooling air from the outside are generally used in order to carry the cooling air into the region of the suction device components to be cooled. As a very particularly preferred option for the purposes of the invention, the cooling air is drawn in in a diffuse manner from the interior of the suction device. For the purposes of the invention, this preferably means that available air from the interior space of the suction device can be drawn in in a diffuse manner into the region of the suction device components to be cooled without the need for long transport paths within the suction device. This enables the cooling air to be drawn in with particularly low losses. Moreover, the risk of unwanted contamination can be significantly reduced if “internal cooling air” is used to cool individual suction device components.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the suction device components to be cooled are electrical and/or electronic suction device components. In particular, they may be the electronics of the suction device and/or power cables within the suction device. The improved cooling of power cables is an important advantage of the present invention since the conductivity of cables declines with increasing temperature. Accordingly, larger and more expensive cables must be used if it is not possible to provide adequate cooling of the cables. By virtue of the optimized cooling of the electrical and/or electronic components to be cooled, e.g. of the lines within the suction device, the conductivity of the cables used can be exploited more effectively, and therefore, owing to the invention, relatively small, thin cables can be used in the suction device. The improved cooling of the control electronics furthermore represents an important advantage of the present invention for avoiding temperature-related failures of the electronics.
Before entering the region of the components to be cooled, the air preferably has to travel only a short distance, thereby making it possible to provide a particularly high cooling capacity. This is because it is possible in this way to keep the losses of cooling capacity particularly low and to enable optimum cooling of the suction device components to be cooled. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the passage of the air through the air duct should begin in the region of the at least one suction device component to be cooled. In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the passage of the air through the motor cooling system begins in the region of the electronics unit of the suction device, for example.
The at least one suction device component to be cooled can be an electronics unit of the suction device, for example. For the purposes of the invention, this electronics unit is preferably also referred to as “electronics”. It can comprise a circuit board and electronic components by means of which the operation of the suction device can be controlled. Alternatively or in addition, the at least one suction device component to be cooled may also be lines for transmitting electrical energy, data and/or control signals. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the suction device comprise at least one line for transmitting electrical energy, data and/or control commands, wherein the lines for transmitting electrical energy, data and/or control commands can be arranged between an electronics unit and a suction motor of the suction device. In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, these lines can be or comprise the power cables of the suction device.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the lines for transmitting electrical energy, data and/or control commands be arranged between an electronics unit and a suction motor of the suction device. In other words, the lines can be configured to transmit and/or send electrical energy, data and/or control signals from the electronics to the suction motor of the suction device, or vice versa. The lines may be power cables which, for example, ensure a power supply to the suction device components. However they may also be data or signal lines, by means of which an exchange of data and/or control signals between the suction device components is made possible.
The suction motor of the suction device can be designed as a turbine, fan or blower, for example, wherein a reduced pressure and a suction flow for drawing in dirt, dust or drilling sludge can be generated by means of the suction motor. The suction motor can preferably comprise components such as a turbine, a fan or a blower. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the suction motor be configured not only to generate a suction flow for drawing in dirt, dust or drilling sludge but also an air flow for cooling the suction device components. In this way, by means of its fan and/or blower, the suction motor can also cool the electronics as the suction device component to be cooled, for example.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the at least one component of the suction device, in particular the electronics unit of the suction device, be arranged in an inlet region of the cooling duct. The cooling duct preferably has the function of transporting or carrying cooling air into the region of the suction device components to be cooled. For the purposes of the invention, the cooling duct can therefore preferably also be referred to as a “motor cooling system” of the suction device. For example, the suction motor of the suction device may also be regarded as a suction device component to be cooled.
The electronics of the suction device can preferably be arranged directly at the inlet of the cooling duct or motor cooling system. As a result, the cooling air travels over a short distance directly into the region of the electronics unit and can cool the latter in an effective manner. This is because the air drawn in as cooling air preferably has a relatively low temperature initially, resulting in a particularly large temperature difference with respect to the suction device component to be cooled. Owing to this temperature difference, the electronics of the suction device, for example, which are preferably arranged in the inlet region of the cooling duct, can be cooled in a particularly effective manner by the cooling air.
In other words, there may be a preference for the purposes of the invention that the at least one component of the suction device, in particular the electronics unit of the suction device, be arranged in an inlet region of the duct. By virtue of the arrangement of the suction device component to be cooled in the inlet region of the cooling duct, the cooling paths and the loss distance of the cooling air can be kept particularly short, thus ensuring that, when it enters the region of the component to be cooled, the cooling air has a relatively low temperature and, as a result, has a high cooling capacity. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the electronics unit of the suction device has cooling fins. The provision of cooling fins makes it possible to further improve heat exchange between the electronics unit and the cooling air.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the at least one component of the suction device, in particular the electronics unit of the suction device, be arranged at an angle of inclination α within the cooling duct, wherein the angle of inclination α is in a range between 0 and 90°. If the electronics unit is arranged on one of the side regions of the cooling duct, a cooling air inlet into the cooling duct, for example, can form an angle of 0 to 90° with an imaginary vertical axis that runs through the suction device. For example, the suction device components can be arranged in the suction device so as to be aligned with this imaginary vertical axis. The imaginary vertical axis can, for example, form a central axis or can run parallel thereto, the said axis running centrally through the suction motor of the suction device. For example, the cooling duct can have a central portion, the side portions of which likewise run parallel or substantially parallel to the imaginary vertical axis of the suction device. In other words, there is a preference, for the purposes of the invention, that a central portion of the duct be formed substantially parallel to an imaginary vertical axis.
The side portions preferably enclose an angle with the side portions of the central portion of the cooling duct in the inlet region of the cooling duct, wherein this angle preferably corresponds to the angle of inclination α at which the electronics of the suction device can be arranged in the cooling duct. This means that, for the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that an inlet region of the duct be designed to be inclined by an angle of inclination α. The sloping arrangement of the electronics in the cooling duct or the inlet region thereof enables the cooling air to be led past the electronics of the suction device in an optimum manner, bringing about particularly good heat exchange and thus a good cooling effect on the suction device component to be cooled.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the angle of inclination α be in a range between 0 and 90°. Ranges between 0 and 30° or between 3° and 90° may be preferred, for example. Particularly in the case of an angle of inclination in a range between 0 and 30°, it has been found that the suction device components to be cooled, preferably electrical and/or electronic components, can be cooled particularly well. The inclination of the component arranged in the cooling duct, e.g. the electronics unit, is preferably stated with reference to an imaginary vertical axis of the suction device. The inclination of the inlet region of the cooling duct can likewise be stated with reference to the imaginary vertical axis. The imaginary vertical axis preferably runs parallel or substantially parallel to the side portions of the central region of the cooling duct or parallel or substantially parallel to an axis running centrally through the suction motor.
By virtue of the preferably sloping arrangement of the electronics in the inlet region of the cooling duct, the lines for transmitting electrical energy, data and/or control commands can be made particularly short and, in particular, can be routed in the cooling duct. In other words, the power cables, which are preferably arranged between the suction motor and the electronics of the suction device, can be designed to be so short that they run substantially completely within the cooling duct and, as a result, can be cooled in an optimum manner. It has been found as a further advantage of the invention that the particularly short lines also allow a considerable reduction in the unwanted effects of electromagnetic interference fields.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the cooling duct be formed by a first side region and a second side region, wherein at least one of the side regions has means for receiving and/or holding the at least one component of the suction device, in particular the electronics unit of the suction device. In other words, the first and/or the second side region of the cooling duct can have means for receiving and/or holding the at least one component of the suction device, in particular the electronics unit of the suction device. For example, a well or a receiving space, into which the electronics unit or some other component of the suction device can be inserted, can be provided on one of the side regions of the cooling duct. The electronics unit or the other component of the suction device can be received by the well or the receiving space and in this way secured in the cooling duct. Alternatively or in addition, the cooling duct can have holding means, such as clips or the like, by means of which the electronics unit or some other component of the suction device can be secured on at least one of the side regions of the cooling duct. In this way, the side regions of the cooling duct can form a housing for the electronics unit of the suction device, and therefore this “electronics housing” of the suction device can simultaneously also ensure the guidance of the cooling air of the suction motor or of the other suction device components to be cooled.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the duct and/or the side regions of the duct be in sealing engagement with a seal of the suction motor. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the seal be configured to seal a spatial region between the working air and an electronics side of the suction device. Particularly when using the invention in a universal suction device or a wet-dry suction device, such a seal is important for protecting the sensitive electrical and/or electronic suction device components, which are preferably arranged on an “electronics side of the suction device”, from moisture and humidity.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that, together with the suction motor, the cooling duct and/or the seal of the suction motor, the electronics unit forms a subassembly which can advantageously be installed as a unit into the suction device. It is thereby advantageously possible to considerably simplify the production of the suction device.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a method for operating such a suction device. The terms, definitions and technical advantages introduced for the suction device preferably apply in an analogous manner to the operating method for the suction device. In the operating method, cooling air is drawn in from an interior space of a housing of the suction device and is led past the at least one component of the suction device, thus advantageously ensuring that the cooling air is led past the at least one component of the suction device with a minimum loss of cooling capacity.
For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the at least one component of the suction device be arranged at an angle of inclination α within the duct, wherein the angle of inclination α is in a range between 0 and 90°, such that the cooling air is led past the at least one component of the suction device with a minimum loss of cooling capacity. The at least one component of the suction device can preferably be arranged in an inlet region of the duct, such that the cooling air is led past the at least one component of the suction device with a minimum loss of cooling capacity. There may also be a preference for the purposes of the invention that the at least one component of the suction device be arranged between an electronics unit and a suction motor of the suction device, such that the cooling air is led past the at least one component of the suction device with a minimum loss of cooling capacity.
Further advantages can be found in the following description of the FIGURE. The FIGURE, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will also expediently consider the features individually and combine them into further expedient combinations.
Identical and similar components are denoted by the same reference signs in the FIGURE,
in which:
In the context of the present invention, the cooling air 14 is preferably drawn in from the interior space 20 of the housing 18 of the suction device 10. It is thereby advantageously possible to dispense with drawing in air as cooling air 14 from the environment of the suction device 10.
The electronics 22 can have cooling fins 26, which can increase the surface area of the electronics unit 22 in order to improve the cooling thereof by the cooling air 14.
In addition, lines 28 as the component 16 of the suction device 10 that is to be cooled may also be arranged in the cooling duct 12. The lines 28 can be configured, for example, to transmit electrical energy, such as current or power, data and/or control signals. The lines 28 can be designed, for example, as power cables and arranged between the suction motor 30 and the electronics unit 22. By virtue of the specific arrangement of the components 16 of the suction device 10, the lines 28 are, as a result, advantageously arranged completely or to a large extent in the cooling duct 12, thus enabling them to be cooled by the cooling air 14.
The electronics unit 22 can be secured on one of the side regions 32, 34 of the cooling duct 12 by means of receiving or holding means 36. For example, the electronics unit 22 can be received in a receiving means 36 designed as a well or receiving region, with the result that the electronics unit 22 is arranged on one of the side regions 32, 34 of the cooling duct 12. If the receiving or holding means 36 are arranged in a preferably sloping inlet region 24 of the cooling duct 12, a sloping arrangement of the electronics unit 22 within the suction device 10 or within the cooling duct 12 can be achieved by securing the electronics unit 22 on one of the side regions 32, 34.
The suction motor 30 of the suction device 10 can be sealed with respect to a clean side and/or a dirty side of the suction device 10 by means of a seal 38. The seal 38 can be in engagement with the side regions 32, 34 of the cooling duct 12, and therefore the side regions 32, 34 of the cooling duct 12 complete the seal 38 of the suction motor 30.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23178650.0 | Jun 2023 | EP | regional |
