WET AND DRY VACUUM CLEANER

Abstract

A wet and dry vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner head, having a dirt container and having an inlet fitting which is designed for the connection of a suction hose, wherein the inlet fitting is connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector, which is situated in the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner such that dirt particles that are drawn in can pass via the inlet connector into the dirt container, wherein the inlet connector is designed as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

Description

The present invention relates to a wet and dry vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner head, having a dirt container and having an inlet fitting which is designed for the connection of a suction hose. The inlet fitting is connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector, which is situated in the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner such that dirt particles that are drawn in can pass via the inlet connector into the dirt container.

BACKGROUND

Wet and dry vacuum cleaners of the type mentioned in the introduction are known in principle from the prior art. They serve for example for extracting dirt particles such as those which typically form during work performed with angle grinders. For this purpose, a suction hose is connected to the inlet fitting, which suction hose is in turn connected by way of example to an angle grinder. In the case of the so-called wet application, dirty water is drawn in. In the case of dry applications, only or predominantly dry dirt particles are drawn in.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wet and dry vacuum cleaner which exhibits improved operating behavior.

The present invention provides that the inlet connector is designed as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

The present invention incorporates the realization that, in the case of wet and dry vacuum cleaners of the prior art, the inlet fitting and/or the inlet connector are typically positioned in the vacuum cleaner head, as a result of which the available volume of the dirt container can be optimally utilized. Here, the inlet connector is typically oriented directly into the dirt container, which results in undesired stirring-up and swirling of the already drawn-in dirt particles in the dirt container. It has been observed that this leads to a premature shut-off in the case of wet applications and to a relatively short filter service life in the case of dry applications. By virtue of the inlet connector being designed according to the invention as a diffuser with horizontal outflow, these disadvantages can be avoided. A layered introduction of dirt particles into the dirt container, without swirling in the dirt container, is rather promoted.

It has proven to be advantageous if a suction flow through the inlet connector designed as a diffuser is directed toward an inner wall of the dirt container. The rebounding of the suction flow from the inner wall decelerates or slows the drawn-in air with the dirt particles, leading to a further improvement in the introduction of dirt particles into the dirt container.

The inner wall of the dirt container is preferably a side wall of the dirt container. The inner wall need not imperatively be a side wall of the dirt container. Rather, the inner wall may also be a further wall, within the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, which is oriented vertically and/or the area of which is at least as large as a cross-sectional area of the diffuser opening of the inlet connector.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the inlet connector designed as a diffuser has a diffuser opening, the wall spacing of which with respect to the inner wall is less than one fifth of the container width of the dirt container.

A cross-sectional area of the diffuser opening is preferably at least 50% larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting in the region of the wall passage into the dirt container.

The diffuser opening may be arranged, preferably exclusively, in the upper third of the dirt container.

It has proven to be advantageous if the inlet connector designed as a diffuser is arranged in a volume defined by the dirt container. The inlet connector designed as a diffuser is particularly preferably arranged exclusively in a volume defined by the dirt container.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner particularly preferably has an electric turbine arranged in the vacuum cleaner head. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner may have a dirt filter which, in relation to the suction flow, is positioned downstream of the inlet connector designed as a diffuser.

In a further preferred embodiment, the inlet connector designed as a diffuser is formed as a single piece. The inlet connector designed as a diffuser may be formed integrally on the dirt container. The inlet connector designed as a diffuser is preferably composed of plastic or polymer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the figures. A preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in which a schematically wet and dry vacuum cleaner is shown. The FIGURE, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them to form expedient further combinations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A preferred exemplary embodiment of a wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 has a vacuum cleaner head 10, a dirt container 20 and an inlet fitting 25 designed for the connection of a suction hose 200.

The suction hose 200 to be connected to the inlet fitting 25 is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 furthermore has an inlet connector 27, which is connected in terms of flow to the inlet fitting 25 such that dirt particles P that are drawn in can pass via the inlet connector 27 into the dirt container 20.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the inlet connector 27 is designed according to the invention as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

As can be seen from the FIGURE, the inlet connector 27 designed as a diffuser is arranged exclusively in a volume V defined by the dirt container 20. Furthermore, the diffuser designed as an inlet connector 27 is arranged such that a suction flow S is oriented directly toward an inner wall 21 of the dirt container 20. In other words, the suction flow S flows through the diffuser opening 28 of the inlet connector 27 in a horizontal direction H toward the inner wall 21, rebounds from the latter, and passes, having been slowed, into the lower region of the dirt container 20, whereby the dirt particles P can be introduced in layered fashion without swirling or at least with considerably reduced swirling.

As can likewise be seen from FIG. 1, the diffuser opening 28 of the inlet connector 27 has a wall spacing WA to the inner wall 21, wherein the wall spacing WA is less than one fifth of the container width B of the dirt container 20.

A cross-sectional area Q1 of the diffuser opening 28 is, in the present exemplary embodiment, at least 50% larger than a cross-sectional area Q2 of the inlet fitting 25 in the region of the wall passage into the dirt container 20.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 of FIG. 1 furthermore has an electric turbine arranged in the vacuum cleaner head 10. The suction flow S is generated by means of said electric turbine, by means of which suction flow the dirt particles P are drawn into the dirt container 20 in the course of a wet application or a dry application.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 furthermore has a dirt filter 17 which, in relation to the suction flow S, is positioned downstream of the inlet connector 27 designed as a diffuser. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, the dirt filter 17 is arranged at the transition between vacuum cleaner head 10 and dirt container 20.

The vacuum cleaner head 10 lies on the dirt container 20 from above and is locked on the latter (locking not illustrated). In the preferred exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the inlet connector 27 designed as a diffuser is formed as a single piece and is formed integrally directly on the dirt container 20. Here, both the inlet connector 27 and the dirt container 20 are composed of plastic.

In alternative embodiments, the dirt container 20 may be manufactured for example from metal, into which, for example, there is fitted an inlet connector composed of plastic or polymer together with an inlet fitting 25 composed of plastic or polymer.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

• 10 Vacuum cleaner head
• 15 Electric turbine
• 17 Dirt filter
• 20 Dirt container
• 21 Inner wall
• 25 Inlet fitting
• 27 Inlet connector
• 28 Diffuser opening
• 100 Wet and dry vacuum cleaner
• 200 Suction hose
• B Container width
• H Horizon
• P Dirt particles
• Q1 Cross-sectional area of the diffuser opening
• Q2 Cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting
• S Suction flow
• V Volume of the dirt container
• WA Wall spacing

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner comprising: a vacuum cleaner head having a dirt container and having an inlet fitting designed for the connection of a suction hose, the inlet fitting being connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector situated in the wet and dry vacuum cleaner such that dirt particles drawn in can pass via the inlet connector into the dirt container,the inlet connector being designed as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

12. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner recited in claim 11 wherein a suction flow through the inlet connector designed as the diffuser is directed toward an inner wall of the dirt container.

13. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 12 wherein the inner wall of the dirt container is a side wall of the dirt container.

14. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 12 wherein the inlet connector has a diffuser opening, a wall spacing of the diffuser opening with respect to the inner wall being less than one fifth of a container width of the dirt container.

15. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein a cross-sectional area of a diffuser opening of the diffuser is at least 50 percent larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting in a region of the wall passage into the dirt container.

16. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is arranged in a volume defined by the dirt container.

17. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 16 wherein the inlet connector is arranged exclusively in the volume.

18. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 further comprising an electric turbine arranged in the vacuum cleaner head.

19. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 further comprising a dirt filter positioned, in relation to the suction flow, downstream of the inlet connector.

20. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is formed as a single piece.

21. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is formed integrally on the dirt container.

22. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is composed of plastic.