Motorized working apparatus and air filter

Abstract

A motorized working apparatus includes a housing having an air inlet, an air guide leading from the air inlet into the housing, and an air filter which is curved hood-shaped outwardly and covers the air inlet of the housing. The air filter includes a filter frame body with a filter-fabric-free air outlet face facing the air inlet of the housing and with a window frame structure protruding over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face and having at least one window region. A filter fabric occupies the at least one window region, and a fixation releasably fixes the filter frame body to the housing. The window frame structure has frame webs which delimit the at least one window region and which protrude relative to the filter fabric towards an air supply side in the at least one window region and include web side edges which run sloping at an obtuse angle relative to adjacent window planes, and/or the fixation includes a pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement and a final fixing holding arrangement which are independent of each other, and/or the window frame structure of the air filter protrudes over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face in the shape of a roof with a triangular cross-sectional form.

Claims

1. A motorized working apparatus, comprising: a housing with an air inlet; an air guide leading from the air inlet into the housing; and an air filter which is curved hood-shaped outwardly and covers the air inlet of the housing, and which comprises a filter frame body with a filter-fabric-free air outlet face facing the air inlet of the housing and with a window frame structure protruding over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face and having at least one window region, a filter fabric occupying the at least one window region, and a fixation for releasable fixing of the filter frame body to the housing, wherein the air filter further comprises at least one of the following features: (i) the fixation comprises a pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement and a final fixing holding arrangement which are independent of each other, or (ii) the window frame structure of the air filter protrudes over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face in the shape of a roof with a triangular cross-sectional form.

2. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a working tool outside the housing and a connecting shaft between the working tool and the housing, wherein the air inlet is situated on a half of the housing facing the working tool.

3. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for operation in at least one predefined usage position, and the air inlet covered by the air filter is situated in a region of the housing pointing downward in said predefined usage position.

4. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an apparatus component to be cooled, situated in the housing; and a cooling air fan, wherein the air guide forms a cooling air guide which leads from the air inlet of the housing, via the apparatus component to be cooled and the cooling air fan, to an air outlet of the housing which is situated in a region of the housing between a housing front side and a housing rear side.

5. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a housing seal which seals the housing at least on a suction side of the cooling air fan against at least one of supply air and dirt ingress except for the air inlet.

6. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the window frame structure forms a multisurface structure with at least four air inlet faces adjoining each other at an angle along associated frame side edges.

7. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least four air inlet faces comprise a quadrangular front inlet face adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, a quadrangular bottom inlet face adjoining the front inlet face and adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, and two triangular transverse inlet faces each adjoining the air outlet face, the front inlet face and the bottom inlet face.

8. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter frame body is an injection moulding of a plastic material, and the filter fabric is a metallic filter fabric which is over-moulded on the edges by the plastic material of the filter frame body.

9. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the final fixing holding arrangement is a screw connection with a fixing screw and a screw sleeve which is formed on the filter frame body, and the pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement is formed on a screw sleeve outer periphery, or the fixing screw is captively received in the screw sleeve.

10. An air filter, comprising: a filter frame body having frame parts enclosing a filter-fabric-free air outlet face, the filter frame body further having a window frame structure protruding from the frame parts above the air outlet face and having at least one window region forming an air inlet face for entering air that is outlet through the air outlet face; a filter fabric occupying the at least one window region; and a fixation for releasable fixing of the filter frame body, wherein the air filter further comprises at least one of the following features: (i) the fixation comprises a pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement and a final fixing holding arrangement which are independent of each other, or (ii) the window frame structure of the air filter protrudes over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face in the shape of a roof with a triangular cross-sectional form.

11. The air filter according to claim 10, wherein the window frame structure forms a multi-surface structure with at least four air inlet faces adjoining each other at an angle along associated frame side edges.

12. The air filter according to claim 11, wherein the at least four air inlet faces comprise a quadrangular front inlet face adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, a quadrangular bottom inlet face adjoining the front inlet face and adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, and two triangular transverse inlet faces each adjoining the air outlet face, the front inlet face and the bottom inlet face.

13. The air filter according to claim 10, wherein the filter frame body is an injection moulding of a plastic material, and the filter fabric is a metallic filter fabric which is over-moulded on the edges by the plastic material of the filter frame body.

14. The air filter according to claim 10, wherein the final fixing holding arrangement is a screw connection with a fixing screw and a screw sleeve which is formed on the filter frame body, and the pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement is formed on a screw sleeve outer periphery, or the fixing screw is captively received in the screw sleeve.

15. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a manually guided motorized gardening or forestry working apparatus.

16. The air filter according to claim 10, wherein the air filter is configured for being mounted on a motorized working apparatus.

17. A motorized working apparatus, comprising: a housing with an air inlet; an air guide leading from the air inlet into the housing; a working tool outside the housing; a connecting shaft between the working tool and the housing, wherein the air inlet is situated on a half of the housing facing the working tool; and an air filter which is curved hood-shaped outwardly and covers the air inlet of the housing, and which comprises a filter frame body with a filter-fabric-free air outlet face facing the air inlet of the housing and with a window frame structure protruding over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face and having at least one window region, a filter fabric occupying the at least one window region, and a fixation for releasable fixing of the filter frame body to the housing, wherein the window frame structure has frame webs which delimit the at least one window region and which protrude relative to the filter fabric towards an air supply side in the at least one window region and comprise web side edges which run sloping at an obtuse angle relative to adjacent window planes, and wherein the window frame structure forms a multisurface structure with at least four air inlet faces adjoining each other at an angle along associated frame side edges, the at least four air inlet faces comprising a quadrangular front inlet face adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, a quadrangular bottom inlet face adjoining the front inlet face and adjoining the air outlet face at an acute angle, and two triangular transverse inlet faces each adjoining the air outlet face, the front inlet face and the bottom inlet face, or the fixation comprises a pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement and a final fixing holding arrangement which are independent of each other, or the window frame structure of the air filter protrudes over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face in the shape of a roof with a triangular cross-sectional form.

18. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus is configured for operation in at least one predefined usage position, and the air inlet covered by the air filter is situated in a region of the housing pointing downward in said predefined usage position.

19. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: an apparatus component to be cooled, situated in the housing; and a cooling air fan, wherein the air guide forms a cooling air guide which leads from the air inlet of the housing, via the apparatus component to be cooled and the cooling air fan, to an air outlet of the housing which is situated in a region of the housing between a housing front side and a housing rear side.

20. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: a housing seal which seals the housing at least on a suction side of the cooling air fan against at least one of supply air and dirt ingress except for the air inlet.

21. The motorized working apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the filter frame body is an injection moulding of a plastic material, and the filter fabric is a metallic filter fabric which is over-moulded on the edges by the plastic material of the filter frame body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 a perspective side view of a motorized working apparatus;

(2) FIG. 2 a perspective, detail side view of the working apparatus in a region with air filter;

(3) FIG. 3 a perspective, detail side view of the working apparatus in the region of an air inlet without the covering air filter;

(4) FIG. 4 a side view of a housing part of the working apparatus with the housing side wall and operating handle half-shell removed;

(5) FIG. 5 a perspective, top view of an inside of an air filter which can be used for the working tool;

(6) FIG. 6 a perspective view of an outside of the air filter from FIG. 5; and

(7) FIG. 7 a sectional view along line VII-VII in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(8) The motorized working apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 contains a housing 15 having an air inlet 16, an air guide 17 which leads from the air inlet 16 into the housing 15, and an air filter 18 which covers the air inlet 16 of the housing 15 and is curved hood-shaped towards the outside. The working apparatus may in particular be a manually guided gardening or forestry working apparatus of one of the types cited above.

(9) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the working apparatus contains a working tool 19 outside the housing 15, and a connecting shaft 23 between the working tool 19 and the housing 15, wherein the air inlet 16 is situated on a half 15a of the housing 15 facing the working tool 19. In the example shown, a half 15b of the housing 15 facing away from the working tool 19 forms a rear end of the housing 15 and of the working apparatus as a whole. As an alternative to such a design as a so-called shaft apparatus, the working apparatus may also be of the shaftless apparatus type, e.g. a power drill or angle grinder or similar.

(10) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the working apparatus is configured for operation in at least one predefined usage position, and the air inlet 16 covered by the air filter 18 is situated in a region 15c of the housing 15 pointing downward in this usage position, as shown in FIG. 1 for the working apparatus in FIGS. 1 to 4. In the usage position shown in FIG. 1, the working apparatus may for example be used in a design as a lawn trimmer, wherein the working tool 19 is configured in a manner known in itself and not therefore described here in detail.

(11) In the example shown, the user may hold the working apparatus at a rear handle 25 and at a front handle 26, and control it via a control element assembly 27 situated e.g. on or close to the rear handle 25. Optionally, depending on design, the working apparatus may have one or more further usage positions in which the air inlet 16 is also situated in a downward-pointing region of the housing 15, or alternatively in a region of the housing 15 not pointing downward. The downward-pointing orientation of the air inlet 16 and hence also of the air filter 18 covering this, in the respective usage position has e.g. the advantage that aspirated dirt which has settled on the outside of the air filter 18 can detach from the air filter 18 again automatically under gravity and fall down, or can easily be scraped off the air filter 18 by the user. In the example shown, the handle comprises two handle half-shells, of which the handle half-shell on the visible side has been removed in FIG. 4.

(12) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the working apparatus comprises in the housing 15 an apparatus component 20 to be cooled and a cooling air fan 21, wherein the air guide 17 forms a cooling air guide which leads from the air inlet 16 of the housing 15, via the apparatus component 20 to be cooled and the cooling air fan 21, to an air outlet 24 of the housing 15 which is situated in a region 15d of the housing 15 between a housing front side 15e and a housing rear side 15f. The course of the air guide 17, functioning in this case as a cooling air guide, is indicated schematically in FIG. 4 by dotted lines, wherein for greater clarity of the air guide 17, a housing side wall on the visible side and a fan housing have been removed, i.e. are not shown. The region 15d of the air outlet 24 may, as shown, be situated on an underside of the housing 15, alternatively on the top side or a side region of the housing 15.

(13) The apparatus component 20 to be cooled may for example be a drive motor to be cooled for the working tool 19. In this case, a drive shaft runs in the known fashion through the connecting shaft 23 from the drive motor into the housing 15, then functioning as a motor housing, to the working tool 19 on the front. Depending on requirements, one or more further tool components to be cooled, e.g. an electric control unit, may be situated in the air guide 17 either directly or via an associated cooling body structure 33 as shown in FIG. 3.

(14) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the working apparatus is a battery-powered apparatus for which then the housing 15 contains a battery receiving frame 29 for insertion of an accumulator unit or battery pack.

(15) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the working apparatus comprises a housing seal 28 which seals the housing 15 largely air-tightly on at least a suction side of the cooling fan 21 except for the air inlet 16. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the suction side of the cooling air fan 21 is formed by the part of the housing 15 situated on the left of the cooling air fan 21 in FIG. 4, while the pressure side is on the right of the cooling air fan 21 in FIG. 4. In the example shown, the apparatus component 20 or drive motor to be cooled is on the suction side, while the battery-receiving space 29 is on the pressure side. The housing seal 28 is implemented in a fashion known in itself and not therefore explained in detail here, e.g. via corresponding labyrinth seals and/or rubber sealing profiles along constituent parts of the housing 15 adjoining each other along separating edges, such as a housing shell body 30 and a housing cover 31, and along a separating edge between the housing 15 and the air filter 18.

(16) As becomes clearer in connection with FIGS. 5 to 7, the air filter 18 comprises a filter frame body 1 with a filter-fabric-free air outlet face 8 and a window frame structure 3 protruding above the air outlet face 8 and having at least one window region 4, and a filter fabric 5 occupying the at least one window region 4, and a fixation 2 for releasable fixing of the filter frame body 1. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 7, the air outlet face 8 is formed by the quadrangular face lying at the top in the view in FIG. 5, with four associated corner regions 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. When used for the working apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 4, the air outlet face 8 conforms to the air inlet 16 of the housing 15 and faces this, and the fixation 2 serves for releasable fixing of the filter frame body 1 to the housing 15. It is understood that the air filter 18 may also be used for any other purposes wherever suitable, where there is a need to cover an air inlet with a dirt-repelling filter fabric such as the filter fabric 5.

(17) In corresponding embodiments of the air filter 18, as in the example shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the window frame structure 3 has frame webs 9 which delimit the at least one window region 4, protrude relative to the filter fabric 5 towards an air supply side 10 in the at least one window region 4, and have web side edges 11 which run sloping at an obtuse angle α relative to adjacent window planes 12, as evident in particular from the sectional view of FIG. 7. The obtuse angle α lies in the range between 90° and 180°, in particular in the range between 100° and 160°, preferably between 120° and 150°. The window planes 12 are defined by a plane of the respective window region 4.

(18) This design of frame webs 9, which protrude relative to the filter fabric 5 towards the air supply side 10 with sloping side edges 11, facilitates cleaning of the air filter 18 for removal of dirt deposited on its outside, and may also have a favorable effect on the flow behavior of the air which flows from the outside through the respective window region 4 or the filter fabric 5 positioned therein, and hence also passes along the frame webs 9.

(19) In corresponding embodiments, as in the exemplary embodiment shown, the fixation 2 comprises a pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement 2a and a final fixing holding arrangement 2b which are independent of each other. The pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement 2a allows the air filter 18 with its filter frame body 1 to be pre-fixed at its proposed usage site, e.g. on an apparatus housing such as the housing 15 of the working apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 4, where it can then be definitively fixed in releasable fashion by the final fixing holding arrangement 2b, e.g. to the housing 15 of the working apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 4 or on another apparatus housing or at another fixing location.

(20) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the final fixing holding arrangement 2b is a screw connection with a fixing screw 13 and a screw sleeve 14 formed on the filter frame body 1. In an advantageous implementation, as in the example shown, the pre-fixing clamping holding arrangement 2a is formed on the sleeve outer periphery 14a of the screw sleeve 14, e.g. in the form of a clamping edge flattening 32 of the otherwise cylindrical sleeve outer periphery 14a, wherein in this case the clamping edge flattening 32 may cooperate with a corresponding counter clamping element 34. When the air filter 18 is used on the working apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 4, the counter clamping element 34 may be formed e.g. by a facing wall portion in the region of the air inlet 16 of the housing 15, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The air filter 18 may then be pre-fixed to the housing 15 by this clamping fixing, and the definitive fixing can then be made by connecting the fixing screw 13 to an associated counter connecting element on the housing 15. Because of the clamping pre-fixing, the air filter 18 need not be held in position by the user during final fixing.

(21) In corresponding implementations, as in the example shown, the fixing screw 13 is received captively in the screw sleeve 14. The fixing screw 13 may thereby be pre-mounted on the air filter 18 before its final fixing, and is then already at the desired usage point for final fixing of the air filter 18.

(22) In advantageous embodiments, as in the exemplary embodiment shown, the window frame structure 3 comprises a multisurface structure with at least four air inlet faces 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d adjoining each other at an angle along associated frames side edges 6. Advantageously, as in the example shown, the at least four air inlet faces 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d may comprise a quadrangular front inlet face 7a adjoining the air outlet face 8 at an acute angle, a quadrangular bottom inlet face 7b adjoining the front inlet face 7a and adjoining the air outlet face 8 at an acute angle, and two triangular transverse inlet faces 7c, 7d each adjoining the air outlet face 8, the front inlet face 7a and the bottom inlet face 7b. For corresponding applications, this constitutes a roof-shaped design, which is favorable with respect both to a large air inlet face or filter-fabric face and to an air inflow for the air filter 18, which curves hood-like in the direction of the air supply side 10. In the example shown, the front inlet face 7a and the bottom inlet face 7b each comprise four window regions 4, and the two triangular transverse inlet faces 7c, 7d each comprise one window region 4.

(23) In corresponding embodiments, as in the example shown, the window frame structure 3 of the air filter 18 protrudes over the filter-fabric-free air outlet face 8 in the shape of a roof with a triangular cross-sectional form. For corresponding applications, this constitutes a favorable design of the air filter 18 with respect to both provision of a large air inlet face or filter-fabric face for a given extent of the air outlet face 8 or housing air inlet 16, and/or with respect to air inflow.

(24) In advantageous embodiments, the filter frame body 1 is an injection moulding of a plastic material, and the filter fabric 5 is a metallic filter fabric which is over-moulded on the edges by the plastic material of the filter frame body 1. Thus the filter fabric 5 is connected in stable fashion to the window frame structure 3 with relatively little production complexity. The filter fabric 5 may for example consist of stainless steel and/or have a filter mesh width in the range from approximately 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, and/or a mesh wire thickness of between approximately 0.30 mm and 0.33 mm.

(25) As the exemplary embodiments shown and explained above make clear, the invention provides an advantageous motorized working apparatus with a specially designed and/or attached air filter, and an air filter which is suitable for such a working apparatus and other similar applications and has a design that is curved hood-like towards the air inlet side, in particular in a roof shape. Advantageously, the air filter is particularly suitable for manually guided, motorized gardening and forestry working apparatuses such as hedge cutters, hedge shears, strimmers, pruners and other similar above-mentioned apparatuses.

(26) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.