Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Abstract

The present invention provides a floor vacuum cleaner, comprising a dust collecting unit supported on rollers and/or skids and including a motor fan unit, wherein the dust collecting unit comprises a housing having provided therein a dust chamber for accommodating a filter bag and a fan chamber for accommodating the motor fan unit, wherein the fan chamber containing the motor fan unit is arranged side by side with the dust chamber, the dust chamber and the fan chamber being separated from one another by a partition, wherein the dust chamber is fluidically connected to the fan chamber via a suction duct, wherein the suction duct is arranged such that, by means of the motor fan unit, air can be sucked upwards from the dust chamber, through the suction duct, into the fan chamber.

Claims

1. A floor vacuum cleaner comprising a dust collecting unit supported on rollers or skids and including a motor fan unit, wherein the dust collecting unit comprises a housing having provided therein a dust chamber for accommodating a filter bag and a fan chamber for accommodating the motor fan unit, wherein the fan chamber containing the motor fan unit is arranged side by side with the dust chamber, wherein the dust chamber and the fan chamber are separated from one another by a partition, wherein the dust chamber is fluidically connected to the fan chamber via a suction duct, wherein the suction duct is arranged such that air can be sucked upwards from the dust chamber, through the suction duct, into the fan chamber by the motor fan unit.

2. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the partition comprises an opening through which the suction duct extends.

3. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is closed by a boundary wall on an upper side of the dust chamber, and an opening, through which the suction duct extends, is formed between the boundary wall and the partition.

4. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is delimited by a boundary wall on the upper side of the dust chamber and the boundary wall has provided thereon spacers to keep a filter bag, arranged in the dust chamber, in spaced-apart relationship with the boundary wall, when the floor vacuum cleaner is in operation.

5. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the spacers are configured in the form of ribs or a grid.

6. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is delimited by opposed sidewalls in a direction transverse to the partition, the suction duct extending, at least partially, along one or both sidewalls.

7. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is delimited by an end wall located opposite the partition, the suction duct extending, at least partially, along the end wall.

8. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction duct is arranged such that, air can exclusively be sucked upwards from the dust chamber, through the suction duct, into the fan chamber by the motor fan unit.

9. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein one or both sidewalls, the partition or the end wall have spacers arranged thereon, to keep a filter bag, arranged in the dust chamber, in spaced-apart relationship with the respective sidewall, partition or end wall.

10. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the motor fan unit is arranged such that air sucked in via the suction duct enters the motor fan unit from above.

11. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is delimited by a boundary wall on the upper side thereof, the boundary wall being configured, at least partially, as an openable and closable cover.

12. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust chamber is delimited on the upper side of the dust chamber by a boundary wall having provided therein an inlet opening for an air current to be sucked in, or is delimited by an end wall located opposite the partition and having provided therein an inlet opening for an air current to be sucked in.

13. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, comprising a suction hose, a suction tube and a floor nozzle, wherein air can be sucked into the dust chamber through the floor nozzle, the suction tube and the suction hose by the motor fan unit.

14. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, comprising a holder arranged within the dust chamber and used for holding a filter bag.

15. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, comprising a motor protection filter arranged at a fan-chamber-side mouth of the suction duct.

16. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the cover is pivotable.

Description

[0041] Further features and advantages are described making reference to the figures, in which

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic interior view of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of the inner side of a cover of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0045] FIG. 4 shows schematically a top view of the inner side of a further cover of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a comparative floor vacuum cleaner.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows schematically a floor vacuum cleaner 1 with a dust collecting unit 2 which, in the example shown, is supported on rollers 3.

[0048] The housing of the dust collecting unit 2 has provided therein a dust chamber 3 and a fan chamber 4. The dust chamber 4 and the fan chamber 5 are arranged side by side and are separated from each other by a partition 6. The fan chamber 5 is located on the same level as the dust chamber 4, i.e. it is in particular not arranged above the dust chamber. This allows a low centre of gravity and a compact structural design.

[0049] The dust chamber 4 has provided therein a vacuum cleaner filter bag 7, which, in the example shown, is a flat bag. The vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 comprises a bag wall 9 consisting of a single-layer or a multi-layer filter material. The one or the plurality of layers of filter material may in particular each consist of a nonwoven and/or a non-woven fabric.

[0050] The bag wall 9 has a holding plate 8 secured thereto, which is e.g. welded to the filter material. The holding plate 8 is arranged at the bag filling opening or inlet opening 10 of the vacuum cleaner filter bag and has a passage opening of its own.

[0051] The holding plate 8 is taken up by a holder 11 by means of which the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 is held in the dust chamber 4.

[0052] The dust chamber 4 is, on the upper side thereof, delimited by an (upper) boundary wall, which is configured as a bipartite component in the present example. It comprises a cover 12, which is pivotable about a hinge 12. In this way, the dust chamber 4 can be opened to insert or remove a vacuum cleaner filter bag. The boundary wall additionally comprises a stationary portion 12, which adjoins an end wall 18.

[0053] The cover 12 has provided therein an inlet opening 13 for an air current to be sucked in. The inlet opening 13 has arranged thereon a suction piece 14, which is typically fixedly connected to the upper boundary wall, i.e. here to the cover 12.

[0054] In the inserted condition of the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7, the suction piece 14 enters the bag filling opening 10 of the vacuum cleaner filter bag after the cover has been closed, so that the sucked-in air will be sucked through the cover 12 and through the suction piece 14 into the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7.

[0055] The suction air-current is produced by a motor fan unit 15, which is arranged in the fan chamber 5. The motor fan unit may in particular be an axial fan.

[0056] At the cover 12 and thus at the upper boundary wall of the dust chamber 4, a suction duct 16 is provided. This suction duct 16 fluidically connects the dust chamber 4 to the fan chamber 5. In other words, the air sucked in by the motor fan unit 15 flows through the suction duct 16 into the fan chamber 5 after having enteredas indicted by the arrowsthe vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 through the inlet opening 13 in the cover 12 and the connection piece 14.

[0057] The partition 6 separates the dust chamber 4 and the fan chamber 5 from one another in such a way that, apart from the suction duct 16, there is no other fluidic connection between the dust chamber 4 and the fan chamber 5. In this way, the air sucked in through the motor fan unit 15 is sucked upwards within the dust chamber 4 and in particular within the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 in the direction of the upper boundary wall and the cover 12 and flows then through the suction duct 16 into the fan chamber 5. Between the upper boundary wall of the dust chamber (in particular of the cover 12) and the partition 6 an opening 17 is formed, through which the suction duct leads into the fan chamber 5. The suction duct 16 thus extends along the upper boundary wall of the dust chamber 4 through the opening 17 to above the fan chamber 5, into which it opens from above through the mouth 16. The mouth 16 has arranged thereon a motor protection filter 22, which is supported by a suitable holder.

[0058] On the basis of this configuration, dust sucked into the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 is separated predominantly at the area of the bag wall 9 located adjacent the suction duct 16 and the mouth of the latter in the dust chamber 14. This area of the bag wall 9 is arranged on the upper side of the installed bag. As soon as the motor fan unit 15 is switched off, at least part of the dust separated at the bag wall arranged at the top, when the vacuum cleaner is in operation, will drop downwards within the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7, so that early clogging of the filter material will be prevented.

[0059] The suction duct 16 is formed along the upper boundary wall of the dust chamber and along the cover 12, respectively, and extends therealong. In this way, also the air current is conducted from the dust chamber 4 along the upper boundary wall and the cover, respectively, in particular into the fan chamber 5.

[0060] The dust chamber is delimited by an end wall 18 located opposite the partition 6.

[0061] As will also be illustrated in the figures following hereinafter, the upper boundary wall and the cover 12, respectively, have spacers, so as to keep the vacuum cleaner filter bag 7 in spaced-apart relationship with the boundary wall. These spacers delimit, at least partially, the suction duct 16.

[0062] FIG. 2 is an interior view of a floor vacuum cleaner showing especially the dust chamber 4. The dust chamber 4 has provided therein the holder 11 for the holding plate of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The partition 6 separates the dust chamber 4 from the fan chamber 5 located therebehind. The upper edge of the partition 6 defines, together with the cover 12 (i.e. the upper boundary wall) which is not shown in FIG. 2, an opening 17 through which the suction duct extends from the dust chamber 4 into an area above the fan chamber 5. Through the mouth 16, an air current conducted along the suction duct enters the fan chamber arranged below the mouth 16.

[0063] The dust chamber 4 is, transversely to the partition, delimited by two opposed sidewalls 19 adjoining each the partition 6 on a respective side. On the respective other side, they adjoin the end wall 18.

[0064] In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, spacers are arranged on the partition 6, on the sidewalls 19 and also on the base of the dust chamber 4. By means of these spacers, a filter bag arranged in the dust chamber 4 is kept in spaced-apart relationship with the respective walls.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the inner side of a cover 12 defining the upper boundary wall of a dust chamber. The cover 12 has arranged thereon the connection piece 14 through which air can flow into the dust chamber. The cover 12 has additionally arranged thereon a grid 20, which defines a spacer. By means of this grid 20, a vacuum cleaner filter bag arranged within the dust chamber 4 is kept in spaced-apart relationship with the cover, i.e. the grid 20 prevents the bag from getting into contact with the cover in the switched-on condition of the motor fan unit.

[0066] The grid 20 defines (at least partially) a suction duct 16 extending along the cover 12 towards the dust chamber. By means of the arrangement of the grid 20 and of the thus defined suction duct as well as of the opening 17 defined between the partition 6 and the cover 12, it is guaranteed that sucked-in air will be sucked upwards within the dust chamber 4 towards the cover 12 and into the dust-chamber-side mouth of the suction duct and will then be conducted through the suction duct along the cover 12 through the opening 17. The suction duct extends into an area above the fan chamber 5 and ends in a mouth 16 through which the air enters the fan chamber 5 and the motor fan unit 15 provided there. In particular, the partition 6, which has no other openings provided therein, prevents air from being sucked from the dust chamber 4 into the fan chamber 5 along some other, more direct path.

[0067] Instead of an opening 17 formed between the partition 6 and the cover 12, the partition 6 may, alternatively, also be configured as a continuous component up to the cover 12 (the upper boundary wall). In this case, the partition 6 then has in the upper area thereof an opening through which the suction duct extends from the dust chamber to the fan chamber. This kind of opening in the partition is possible as long as it can be ensured that the suction duct has a configuration of a nature guaranteeing that the air will be sucked upwards within the dust chamber.

[0068] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the shown part of the suction duct 16 has a circumferentially open edge area. In this way, it will additionally be possible to suck in air in the direction of the two sidewalls 19, when the dust chamber has a configuration of the type shown in FIG. 2. Air sucked in in the direction of the sidewalls is conducted upwards along the sidewalls 19 in the direction of the upper boundary wall and, by means of the suction duct, through the opening 17 in the direction of the fan chamber 5.

[0069] An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. The here shown view of the inner side of a cover 12 with a connection piece 14 is again provided with a grid 20 by means of which a mouth area of the suction duct 16 is formed. However, in this embodiment, the shown part of the suction duct 16 has a circumferentially closed edge area. The suction duct is here provided with a boundary wall 21 especially in the direction of the two sidewalls, in the direction of the connection piece and in the direction of the end wall, so that the suction duct 16 is open only in the direction of the vacuum cleaner filter bag and in the direction of the base of the dust chamber through its mouth area.

[0070] In this way, the air in the dust chamber is exclusively sucked upwards into the dust-chamber-side mouth area of the suction duct 16; suction in the direction of one of the sidewalls does not take place. Also this configuration provides a surprisingly high suction performance constancy.

[0071] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional floor vacuum cleaner, which has been used for a comparative test. The comparative vacuum cleaner has a conventional structural design, in the case of which the dust chamber 4 is separated from the fan chamber 5 by a partition 6. In the standard configuration illustrated, the partition 6 has provided therein a passage opening 23, which establishes a direct (and single) fluidic connection between the dust chamber 4 and the fan chamber 5; a suction duct of the type shown in FIG. 1 is, however, not provided.

[0072] In comparison with the solution according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the motor fan unit according to FIG. 5 has been rotated by 90 and sucks in air from the dust chamber 4 through the passage opening 23. In front of the passage opening, a motor protection filter 22 is arranged.

[0073] For comparative reasons, the suction performance constancy was measured with a floor vacuum cleaner according to the present invention (as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) and with a standard floor vacuum cleaner (as illustrated in FIG. 5). In so doing, the extent to which the volume flow decreases when DMT dust (type 8) is sucked in was determined.

[0074] The air data of the vacuum cleaner were determined in each case according to DIN EN 60312-1:2014-01. Reference is especially made to Section 5.8. The measuring equipment used is the equipment type B according to Section 7.3.7.3. For possibly necessary adapters for connection to the measurement chamber, the statements made in Section 7.3.7.1 apply. Also the terms volume flow and suction air flow will be used for the term air current according to DIN EN 60312-1.

[0075] In both floor vacuum cleaners a motor fan unit with a power consumption of 750 W was used. The dimensions and the geometry of the dust chamber were essentially the same in both cases. However, the conventional vacuum cleaner had no grid-shaped spacers on the base, the sides and the cover; the base had only provided thereon a few ribs. In the case of both floor vacuum cleaners, a conventional motor protection filter was arranged at the opening leading into the fan chamber 5 (i.e. at the mouth 16 and the passage opening 22, respectively). In both cases, the same original OEM vacuum cleaner filter bag of the standard floor vacuum cleaner was used.

[0076] The volume flow was determined with the bag inserted but empty, after 200 g of DMT 8 dust and 400 g of DMT 8 dust had been sucked in. The percentage decrease in volume flow is shown in the table below.

TABLE-US-00001 decrease in decrease in volume flow after volume flow after 200 g DMT 8 400 g DMT 8 floor vacuum cleaner 1.0% 4.4% according to the present invention, cover as shown in FIG. 4 conventional floor vacuum 4.2% 11.2% cleaner as shown in FIG. 5

[0077] It is readily evident that the configuration according to the present invention, where the air is sucked into the fan chamber via a suction duct 16 arranged in the way described above, leads to a significant improvement of suction performance constancy. Even when 400 g of dust have been sucked in, the decrease in volume flow is still less than 5% in the case of the present invention.