VACUUM CLEANER AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner has a housing, a fan in the housing generating a suction air flow, an electric fan motor driving the fan, a dirt separator on the housing for separating dirt particles from the suction air flow, and a nozzle assembly. A suction pipe connects the housing to the nozzle assembly for drawing the suction air flow through the nozzle assembly. An external energy-storage unit on the suction pipe is connectable with the fan motor.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a housing; a fan in the housing generating a suction air flow; an electric fan motor driving the fan; a dirt separator on the housing for separating dirt particles from the suction air flow; a nozzle assembly; a suction pipe connecting the housing to the nozzle assembly for drawing the suction air flow through the nozzle assembly; and an external energy-storage unit on the suction pipe and connectable with the fan motor.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising: an internal energy-storage unit in the housing for powering the fan motor.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction pipe is detachably connected with the external energy-storage unit or with the housing.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising: a main controller in the housing for operating the fan motor and thereby regulating the suction air stream by controlling energy supplied to the fan motor.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further comprising: a charge controller in the external energy-storage unit; and a data line connecting the charge controller to the main controller.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising: an electrically driven cleaning device on the nozzle assembly connectable or at least partially powered by the external energy-storage unit.

7. A method for operating a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fan motor is at least partially powered by the external energy-storage unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the external energy-storage unit has an external charge controller, an internal energy-storage unit and internal charge controller are provided in the housing, a main controller is provided in the housing and is connected to the external charge controller and to the internal charge controller for operating same.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in a first operating mode the external energy-storage unit is operated by the main controller to power the fan motor, and in a second operating mode the internal energy-storage unit is operated by the main controller to power the fan motor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in a boost mode the external energy-storage unit and the internal storage unit are both operated by the main controller to power the fan motor.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein in a transfer mode the external energy-storage unit is operated by the main controller to charge the internal energy-storage unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0041] The invention is described below with reference to figures showing embodiments. Therein:

[0042] FIG. 1A is a three-dimensional view of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1A; and

[0044] FIGS. 1A to 2C are schematic circuit diagrams of various vacuum cleaners according to several embodiments of the invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] FIG. 1A shows a vacuum cleaner 1 according to the invention with a housing 2. In the housing 2 there is a fan 3 for generating a suction air flow and that is driven by an electric fan motor 4 (FIGS. 2A-C). There is also a dirt separator 5 for stripping particles from the suction air flow. This dirt separator is a combination of a cyclone and a shaped fiber filter. Other techniques customary on the market are also applicable here.

[0046] The vacuum cleaner 1 further comprises a nozzle assembly 6 and a suction pipe 7 connected between the assembly 6 and the housing 2. The suction pipe 7 carries an external energy-storage unit 8.

[0047] The individual components of the vacuum cleaner 1 are detachably connected to one another. FIG. 1B shows these components in an exploded view separately from one another. In particular, the housing 2 can be separated from the other components of the vacuum cleaner 1 and used as a hand-held vacuum cleaner in solo operation. The arrangement of the vacuum cleaner assembly 1 as shown in FIG. 1A, constitutes a so-called stick vacuum serving as a full-function vacuum cleaner, for example capable of surface cleaning floors.

[0048] FIG. 2A shows a possible wiring of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the invention. The suction pipe 7 is indicated schematically by a broken line, and the housing 2 by a dot-dash line. The suction pipe 7 carries the external energy-storage unit 8 that has several electrical storage cells 9 and a combined measuring unit and energy management system of a charge controller 10. The external energy-storage unit 8 is connected by conductors 11 with a controller 12 in the housing 2. The conductors 11 run from the external energy-storage unit 8 via the suction pipe 7 into the housing 2. Respective connectors 13a and 13b releasably connect the conductors between the housing 2 and the pipe 7, allowing them to be separated and reconnected. According to the invention the external energy-storage unit 8 can be connected to the fan motor 4. This is done in the embodiment shown via the conductors 11 and controller 12.

[0049] In this embodiment, the housing 2 also holds an internal energy-storage unit 14 with internal storage cells 15 and an internal charge controller 16. The drawing shows schematically that the internal energy-storage unit 14 has a smaller number of storage cells 15 or has a lower capacity and thus a lower weight and smaller dimensions than the unit 8. It is therefore significantly smaller and lighter than the unit 8.

[0050] The controller 12 in the housing operates the motor control according to s switch position of a slide selector switch 17 on the housing 2. A charge level indicator 18 is also provided on the housing 2 so the user can monitor the charge level of both the external energy-storage unit 8 and the internal energy-storage unit 14. For this purpose, the external charge controller 10 and the internal charge controller 16 report the current level of the battery cells 9 via a data line 19 back to the controller 12.

[0051] Furthermore, a connector 20 for external or even line power is provided on the housing 2. It is used to charge the external energy-storage unit 8 and the internal energy-storage unit 14 or for energy supply in solo operation. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the connector 20 is used in solo mode if there is no internal energy-storage unit 14 or it is discharged.

[0052] Within the scope of the invention, it is also conceivable that the external energy-storage unit 8 is charged separately in a separate charging station. Particularly preferably, the external energy-storage unit 8 also has its own charge level indicator 21, which is either on during charging or when a push button 21a has been actuated by the user to monitor the current charge level. For this purpose, a number of preferably multi-colored indicator lights 21b may be provided.

[0053] Another preferred configuration of the interconnection is shown in FIG. 2B that corresponds essentially to FIG. 2A. In addition, the dashed line nozzle assembly 6 carries a cleaning roller 23 driven by a motor 22. This cleaning roller is preferably a brush roller mounted on the nozzle assembly 6 and is mechanically picks up dirt particles adhering to a floor surface. These are then combined with the suction air flow generated by the blower 3 and transported away. FIG. 2B shows that the cleaning motor 22 is operated by a motor control 24 in the nozzle assembly 6 and is connected by the data line 19 with the controller 12 in the housing 2. As a result, the selection switch 17 can turn the cleaning roller 23 on or off for a selected cleaning mode. In addition, a step switch 25 is provided on the suction pipe for control purposes. This allows separate activation or deactivation so that the vacuum cleaner can also be operated in suction mode without the brush roller or alternatively only with the cleaning roller without suction air flow. In FIG. 1A, the step switch 25 is on the top of the nozzle assembly 6. In contrast, a selector switch 26 is provided for mechanical switching of the vacuum cleaner floor 6 between use on a carpet and a smooth floor.

[0054] Another particularly simple variant of the interconnection is shown in FIG. 2C where control electronics are completely dispensed with. Both the internal energy-storage unit 14 and the external energy-storage unit 8 are without regulation with the common conductors 11 connected. Both the fan motor 4 and the roller motor 22 are each operated by a simple mechanical switch 27a or 27b that are interconnected electrically. This can be preferred for power selection with several switch positions that interpose different resistances into the circuit.