WET VACUUM CLEANER AND ARRANGEMENT OF COMPONENTS IN SUCH A WET VACUUM CLEANER

Abstract

An arrangement of components in a portable wet vacuum cleaner, wherein the wet vacuum cleaner includes a container for collecting a liquid-dirt mixture. The component arrangement is characterized, in particular, by a sloping sealing plane as the upper termination of a collecting container of the wet vacuum cleaner, wherein the sloping sealing plane includes a filter unit. In a second aspect, the invention furthermore relates to a wet vacuum cleaner having a component arrangement of this kind.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A portable wet vacuum cleaner comprising: a container for collecting a liquid-dirt mixture, an upper termination of the collecting container including a sloping sealing plane; and a filter unit attached to the sloping sealing plane.

14. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 wherein the upper termination of the collecting container includes a horizontally formed section, the horizontally formed section connecting a rear side of the collecting container and the sloping sealing plane.

15. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 further comprising a filter cleaning module of the wet vacuum cleaner is arranged centrally above the filter unit.

16. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 14 further comprising an energy supply unit arranged substantially above the horizontally formed section.

17. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 14 further comprising a turbine arranged substantially above the horizontally formed section.

18. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 17 further comprising an energy supply unit arranged substantially above the horizontally formed section and wherein the energy supply unit and the turbine are arranged side-by-side and in spatial proximity to the rear side of the collecting container.

19. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 further comprising a suction hose opening into the collecting container via an inlet connector at a suction hose connection, the suction hose connection being arranged at the upper termination of the collecting container.

20. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 19 wherein the inlet connector is a diffuser.

21. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 further comprising probes for detecting a surface of the liquid-dirt mixture.

22. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 further comprising a gyrosensor designed to detect tilting of the wet vacuum cleaner.

23. The portable wet vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 13 wherein the filter unit includes a flat fold filter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the figures, identical components and components of identical type are designated by the same reference signs. In the figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred configuration of the invention

[0026] FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c show various tilted states of a preferred configuration of the wet vacuum cleaner

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred configuration of a proposed wet vacuum cleaner (1). It illustrates the wet vacuum cleaner (1) which is designed, in particular, as a portable backpack vacuum cleaner. The wet vacuum cleaner (1) can be carried by a user on their back, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises carrying straps (17) which assist or facilitate the carrying of the wet vacuum cleaner (1). The wet vacuum cleaner (1) comprises a collecting container (2), in which a liquid-dirt mixture or sludge (3, see FIGS. 2a and 2b for example) that has previously been sucked in by the wet vacuum cleaner (1) through the suction hose (12) can be collected. The sludge (3) passes via a suction hose connection (13) into the collecting container (2), wherein the suction hose (12) comprises, in particular, an inlet connector (14) in its region of entry to the collecting container (2). The inlet connector (14) can preferably be designed as a diffuser, wherein an opening of the inlet connector (14) is formed substantially parallel to a rear side (8) of the collecting container (2). As a result, the rear side (8) of the collecting container (2) can act as a deflecting wall for the liquid-dirt mixture (3) sucked in.

[0028] The collecting container (2) preferably forms the lower region of the wet vacuum cleaner (1). The collecting container (2) is preferably bounded at the top by an upper termination (4), which furthermore forms the boundary with respect to an upper region of the wet vacuum cleaner (1). According to the invention, the upper region of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) is preferably referred to as the sealing region. The upper termination (4) is preferably formed by two sections (5, 7), wherein a substantially horizontally formed section (7) is oriented in the direction of the rear side (8) of the collecting container (2), while a sloping sealing plane (5) is oriented in the direction of the front side of the collecting container (2). The substantially horizontally formed section (7) of the upper termination (4) of the collecting container (2) is preferably formed substantially horizontally in relation to a flat bottom surface of the collecting container (2) of the wet vacuum cleaner. The substantially horizontally formed upper edge (4) of the collecting container (2) allows, in particular, a particularly large tilting angle of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) without the collected sludge (3) in the collecting container (2) flooding the sealing surface (5) or the filter unit (6) or getting into the suction hose (12).

[0029] The sealing plane (5) preferably forms the second section of the upper termination (4) of the collecting container (2). The sealing plane (5) comprises the filter unit (6) of the wet vacuum cleaner (1), which is to be protected, in particular, from contact with the sludge (3). To ensure this, the wet vacuum cleaner (1) comprises probes (15), via which the filling level of the sludge (3) in the collecting container (2) can be determined. The probes (15) preferably form a substantially semicircular arrangement, the lowest point of which projects into the collecting container (2) and, when there is contact with the sludge (3), outputs a signal which can be evaluated by a control device (100 shown schematically) of the wet vacuum cleaner (1). According to the invention, it may be preferred, for example, that the wet vacuum cleaner (1) switches off automatically when the probes (15) are in contact with the sludge (3) or detect a filling level of the dirt-liquid mixture (3) which is classified as risky or dangerous. Through the provision of the probes (15), which surround the filter unit (6) in the sealing plane (5), for example, it is possible to prevent the filter unit (6) from coming into contact with the sludge (3). This could lead to sludge (3) or liquid (3) getting into the space above the sealing plane (5) owing to soaking of the filter (6). Such unwanted soaking is avoided in an effective manner owing to the arrangement of the filter unit (6) in the sloping sealing plane (5), and the components in the sealing space arranged above the collecting container (2) are protected in an effective manner from water and sludge (3). The turbine (11) and the energy supply unit (10), in particular, are arranged in the sealing space arranged above the collecting container (2) (only one of the two objects is visible in the side view). The turbine (11) and the energy supply unit (10) are preferably situated above the substantially horizontally formed section of the upper termination (4) of the collecting container (2), wherein the turbine (11) and the energy supply unit (10) can, in particular, be arranged side-by-side in the sealing space.

[0030] Arranged above the filter unit (6) and after the filter unit (6) in terms of flow, the filter cleaning unit (9), which is also referred to as the APFC module, projects into the sealing space arranged above the collecting container (2). This cleaning unit is also protected from sludge (3) and water by the sealing plane (5) and the filter unit (6) contained therein. Moreover, the wet vacuum cleaner (1) can have a gyrosensor (16).

[0031] FIG. 2 shows various tilted states of a preferred configuration of the wet vacuum cleaner (1). FIG. 2a shows the wet vacuum cleaner (1) in an upright position. In this position, the wet vacuum cleaner (1) is, for example, being carried by an upright user who is not bending forward, backward or to the side in any direction. Thus, all the tilting angles are zero degrees and the wet vacuum cleaner (1) illustrated in FIG. 2a is in an allowed tilted state, wherein the upright state of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) illustrated in FIG. 2a represents a special state of the allowed state. In the allowed tilted state, it is possible with the proposed component arrangement to ensure that the filter unit (6) is not completely softened and that no water or sludge (3) gets out of the collecting container (2) into the sealing space above the sealing plane (5) or into the suction hose (12). In the case of use illustrated in FIG. 2a, a filling level of the liquid-dirt mixture (3) is below the probes (15), which preferably form a semicircular arrangement. The probes (15) preferably surround the filter unit (6), which is situated in the sloping sealing plane (5).

[0032] FIG. 2b too shows an allowed tilted state, wherein the wet vacuum cleaner (1) slopes forward by 40 degrees in the example shown in FIG. 2b, for example. This results in an oblique position of the collecting container (2), with the result that the sludge (3) also forms an oblique filling level surface within the collecting container (2). In the example shown in FIG. 2b, the filling level of the sludge (3) is just below the probes (15), which can detect the filling level of the sludge (3) or can output a signal if they come into contact with the liquid-dirt mixture (3). It can clearly be seen that the filling level of the sludge (3) in the case of the forward tilting of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) which is illustrated in FIG. 2b is not sufficient to reach the filter unit (6). Moreover, no sludge (3) gets into the suction hose (12) in the allowed tilted state illustrated in FIG. 2b. The substantially horizontally formed section (7) of the upper side (4) of the collecting container (2) in conjunction with the sealing plane (5) furthermore protects the turbine (10) and the energy supply unit (10) from the sludge (3).

[0033] FIG. 2c shows a transition between a tilted state of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) which is allowed and one which is not allowed. In the case of the exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 2c, there is a tilt by 90 degrees in the «forward» spatial direction, still just representing an allowed tilted state, while tilted states with larger slope angles represent prohibited tilted states, in which the wet vacuum cleaner (1) switches off automatically. In the tilted state of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) which is not allowed, sludge (3) can get into the suction hose (12), for example. FIG. 2c shows clearly that, despite the pronounced forward tilting of the wet vacuum cleaner (1), the filter unit (6) continues to be protected from contact with the sludge (3) by the slope of the sealing plane (5). The tilted state of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) which is illustrated in FIG. 2c is assumed, for example, when a user who is carrying the wet vacuum cleaner (1) on their back bends forward to a great extent. The wet vacuum cleaner (1) is preferably designed in such a way that the turbine (11) is switched off when a tilted state that is not allowed is assumed, with the result that the suction process is ended. The motor and the filter (6) of the wet vacuum cleaner (1) can thereby be protected from moisture, contaminants and damage. Other states that are not allowed can be assumed by severe tilting to the side or backward, for example. It is also possible for a user to bend both to the side and forward or backward. The proposed wet vacuum cleaner (1) is preferably designed to handle overlapping tilted states and to bring about switching off of the turbine (11) or ending of the suction process if there is a risk to the sensitive components of the wet vacuum cleaner (1), such as the turbine (11), the filter (6), the cleaning unit (9) and/or the motor.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0034] 1 Wet vacuum cleaner [0035] 2 Collecting container [0036] 3 Liquid-dirt mixture/sludge [0037] 4 Upper termination of the collecting container [0038] 5 Sealing plane [0039] 6 Filter unit [0040] 7 Substantially horizontally formed section [0041] 8 Rear side [0042] 9 Filter cleaning module [0043] 10 Energy supply unit [0044] 11 Turbine [0045] 12 Suction hose [0046] 13 Suction hose connection [0047] 14 Inlet connector [0048] 15 Probes [0049] 16 Gyrosensor [0050] 17 Carrying straps [0051] 100 Controller