Patent Application
20240198397
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of European Patent Application EP22213884, filed Dec. 15, 2022; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to an electric motor driven suction cleaning apparatus, more particularly to an electric vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle or brush, a suction channel and a device for collecting dust. The invention also relates to a method for operating a vacuum cleaner.
A vacuum cleaner is an electric appliance that filters dust, dirt and foreign matter together with air into a body provided therein, after suctioning them by using a vacuum motor mounted in the body.
Generally, vacuum cleaners may be classified at least into a canister-type having a suction nozzle or brush communicating with the body through a suction pipe or pipes and a flexible suction hose, wherein the body is equipped with wheels for moving the vacuum cleaner over the floor. Another type of vacuum cleaners is a stick-type vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle that can be directly connected to the body or through a suction pipe or pipes, wherein the body is held in the user's hand during operation.
Both types of vacuum cleaners may include a vacuum cleaner body having a vacuum motor configured to generate a suction force mounted therein, a suction nozzle configured to suck dust and other rubbish scattered on a surface by the suction force generated in the body, and a connection pipe configured to connect the body and the suction nozzle with each other.
The suction force enables the suction nozzle to suction therein the air containing dust and other rubbish scattered on the surface which will be cleaned.
The air containing the dust and other rubbish may be drawn into the body through the connection pipe from the nozzle. The dust and other rubbish contained in the air sucked into the body may be separated within a dust separation device provided in the body, as a cyclonic separation apparatus or other device.
After that, the separated dust and other rubbish may be collected in a device for collecting dust that is in communication with the dust separation device and the air having the dust and foreign matters separated therefrom may be exhausted outside the body.
Customers use vacuum cleaners on many different surfaces and carpets. For some of them, cleaning parameters, e.g. suction power, is reduced due to smaller airflow on some dense carpet. That causes the dust and the other rubbish particles to not be suctioned directly to the device for collecting dust, but instead they levitate in the suction channel. That results in a poor cleaning effect, because when customers switch off the vacuum cleaner during an apparent levitation phenomena, the particles have not been vacuumed, but instead fall down again on the cleaned surface.
UK Patent Application GB 2 161 902 A discloses a non-return flap valve for a vacuum cleaner, including a movable sealing flap, a stationary part having a device for mounting the non-return flap valve in a nozzle body of the vacuum cleaner, a strip connecting the flap to the stationary part and spacing the flap from the stationary part, and a constriction thickness across the strip. The constriction defines and extends along a flexing axis about which the flap articulates relative to the stationary part to prevent the dust and debris accumulated in a collecting chamber from escaping when the appliance is switched off, but unfortunately it does not prevent particles that are not accumulated in the chamber from falling out of the suction channel.
German Patent Application EP 2 113 184 A2 discloses a vacuum cleaner having a suction port and a suction channel, where a capacitive humidity sensor is disposed in the suction channel. The suction channel opens during detection of humidity in a secondary air opening that is spatially attached to the humidity sensor. Monitoring and/or cleaning agents in contact with the humidity sensor proceed during opening movement of the air opening. The air opening is obtained by opening a part of a suction channel wall to prevent water from being drawn into the vacuum cleaner. A locking position of the air opening is secured by magnets. The above-mentioned solution does not prevent particles from falling out of the suction channel, when the vacuuming is finished.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a vacuum cleaner and a method for operating a vacuum cleaner, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which collect all residual dust and other rubbish in a suction channel at a device for collecting dust of a body when the vacuuming is finished, in order to improve cleaning comfort and performance.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface, comprising a body, an electrically-driven suction unit, a device for collecting dust, a suction channel, a nozzle fluidically communicating with the body through the suction channel, an intake device fluidically communicating with the suction unit, provided for ensuring an additional portion of air into the suction channel, and able to be adjusted between an opened state and a closed state, to open and close a by-pass channel, a control unit configured to control the suction unit, having a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data and being operated by a user, and a starting and stopping device electrically communicating with the control unit and configured to generate a cleaning start signal or a cleaning end signal. The intake device is bi-directionally electrically connected to the control unit, so that a transmission of data or signals between the intake device and the control unit is enabled, and the control unit is configured to generate a signal for controlling the intake device in the event of detecting the cleaning start signal or the cleaning end signal.
Advantageously, the vacuum cleaner is equipped with the intake device that is provided for ensuring an additional portion of air into the suction channel and also for reducing air flow resistance by way of a reduction of air suction resistance after the vacuum cleaner is switched off, i.e. when the user decides to finish cleaning the surface, which is expressed by changing the state of the on/off switch. Then the additional portion of air can be sucked into the suction channel, and thus dust particles, which resided in the suction channel, can be removed from the suction channel to the dust collecting device, thanks to which they do not fall out on the cleaned surface, which significantly improves the comfort and efficiency of cleaning.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the intake device is configured to generate data, that provide the control unit with information about the state of the intake device, wherein these data are used to control the suction unit by using the control unit. The positive effect is that the control unit can adapt the control signals to the current state of the intake device.
Preferably, the intake device has an actuator, that is controlled by the control unit, wherein the actuator is configured to change the state of the intake device on the basis of the signal, therefore the state of the intake device can be changed automatically without user intervention.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the starting and stopping device is an electrical switch, wherein the switch communicates with the control unit via a wired transmission. Such a solution is inexpensive to use and reliable to operate.
Advantageously, the intake device is configured to generate and send to the control unit the cleaning end signal for controlling the suction unit, when the intake device has been manually adjusted from the closed to the opened state by the user, then the suction unit is switched off immediately or after a calculated and counted predetermined time by the control unit. The positive effect is that the user can choose how to start cleaning the suction channel by changing the state of the switch or by changing the state of the intake device, namely by changing it state from a closed to an opened state.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the intake device includes at least one paddle, that is disposed on a bottom of the nozzle, and the actuator is configured to rotate the paddle between horizontal and vertical positions and back again in relation to the bottom of the nozzle in order to increase a gap between the bottom of the nozzle and the cleaned surface, when the intake device is in the opened state. Therefore, at least a portion of the nozzle is lifted above the cleaned surface and therefore more air can be sucked into the inlet to remove residual dust particles from the suction channel by using the increased gap.
In another preferred embodiment, a vacuum cleaner also has a suction pipe that forms at least a portion of the suction channel, and the intake device includes a sleeve which slides on the outer surface of the suction pipe, and an opening disposed in the suction pipe. The sleeve is configured to air-tightly close or open the opening when sliding along the suction pipe. Preferably, the sleeve is provided with a handle which projects transversely from an outer surface of the sleeve for the movement of the sleeve. The positive effect is that the inlet device can be operated by the user both by hand or by foot, and the solution itself is uncomplicated, reliable and easy to use in production.
Preferably, the intake device includes a solenoid valve configured to be operated by the control unit, wherein the solenoid valve is disposed in the nozzle and is fluidically connected with the suction channel and is configured to allow inlet air to bypass a nozzle inlet.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for operating the vacuum cleaner, more particularly a method for cleaning the suction channel according to the present invention, which comprises performing the method just after the user finishes cleaning the surface. During the cleaning of the surface the intake device is in the closed state, so the suction channel is provided with air merely through the inlet of the nozzle. The method of cleaning the suction channel is started when a state of the starting and stopping device is changed from the on to off position and the cleaning end signal is sent to the control unit, then the suction unit is switched off by the control unit, immediately or alternatively it is switched off after a calculated and counted time period has elapsed. The control unit generates the signal and sends it to the intake device. Based on the signal, the intake device changes the state from the closed state to the opened state. After the predetermined time, that is calculated by the processor, the control unit switches off the suction unit. The user is informed about the end of the cleaning process. Then, the intake device is changed to the closed state manually by the user or automatically by the control unit which generates and sends a signal to the intake device that is configured to be actuated.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is concomitantly provided a method for operating the vacuum cleaner in order to clean the suction channel, which comprises performing the method for cleaning the suction channel just after the user finishes cleaning the surface. During the cleaning of the surface, the intake device is in the closed state. The method of cleaning the suction channel is started when the user manually changes the state of the intake device from the closed to the opened state, then the intake device generates and sends the cleaning end signal to the control unit, to start counting a time period for switching off the suction unit, or alternatively the suction unit is switched off immediately when the intake device changes the state. After the counted time, that is calculated by the processor has elapsed, the control unit switches off the suction unit. The user is informed about the end of the cleaning process. Then, the intake device is changed to the closed state manually by the user or automatically by the control unit, which generates and sends a signal to the intake device that is configured to be actuated.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a vacuum cleaner and a method for operating a vacuum cleaner, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
In cooperation with the attached drawing, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described hereinafter according to a preferable embodiment, which is not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to the appended claims is covered by the claims which are claimed by the instant application. In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, similar identical reference numbers designate identical comparable components.
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to
The vacuum cleaner 1 also has a control unit 8 configured to control the suction unit 3, with a processor 8′ for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data. The control unit 8 is operated by the user by activating a starting and stopping device 9 which electrically communicates with the control unit 8 and is configured to generate a cleaning start signal or a cleaning end signal SE.
Further, the intake device 7 is also adapted to generate the cleaning end signal SE, which initiates the method of cleaning the suction channel 5. Therefore, the user can choose how to start the process of cleaning the suction channel 5. The intake device 7 is bi-directionally electrically connected to the control unit 8, in order to transmit data or signals between the intake device 7 and the control unit 8. At the moment when the user decides to finish cleaning the surface 13, he or she changes the state of the starting and stopping device 9 or alternatively changes the state of the intake device 7. In the first case, in the event of detecting the cleaning end signal SE, the control unit 8 generates a signal S1 to change the state of the intake device 7 from the closed to the opened by using an actuator 10, and starts counting time to switch off the supply to the suction unit 3, or alternatively the suction unit 3 is switched off immediately, and dust particles are sucked into the device 4 for collecting the dust. If the user decides to use the intake device to start the cleaning method of the suction channel 5, he or she changes the state thereof from the closed to the opened state, then the intake device 7 generates the cleaning end signal SE for the control unit 8 which starts calculating time to switch off the supply of the suction unit 3, or alternatively the suction unit 3 is switched off immediately, and dust particles are sucked into the device 4 for collecting the dust, by the momentum of the suction unit 3. The control unit 8 informs the user about the end of the cleaning process of the suction channel 5, and the intake device 7 is operated to enter the closed state, manually by the user or automatically by the control unit 8 which generates and sends a signal S2 to the intake device 7 to be changed to the closed state by the actuator 10.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.
The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22213884 | Dec 2022 | EP | regional |
