Blower for a vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A blower (2) for a vacuum cleaner, comprising a blower housing (4), an electric motor (6) with a motor housing (8) that encloses the electric motor (6) externally, a fan wheel (10) driven by the electric motor (6) to generate an airflow (20) from a blower inlet opening (12) of the blower housing (4) through an air channel (14) formed between the blower housing (4) and the motor housing (8) to a blower outlet opening (16) of the blower housing (4), and a sound insulation device (18) for attenuating the sound emitted by the electric motor (6), wherein, firstly, the electric motor (6) and the fan wheel (10) are arranged in the blower housing (4), and secondly, the sound insulation device (18) covers the blower outlet opening (16) from the outside in an air-permeable manner, and wherein the air flowing through the blower housing (4) airflow (20) at least partially escapes through the soundproofing device (18) from the blower (2) into a free environment,wherein the motor housing (8) has at least one motor inlet opening (22) and at least one motor outlet opening (24), wherein the blower housing (4), the motor inlet opening (22), the motor outlet opening (24) and the soundproofing device (18) are designed to be coordinated such that a partial airflow (26) of the airflow (20) flowing through the air duct (14) flows successively in the direction of flow into the motor inlet opening (22), through the motor housing (8), out of the motor outlet opening (24) and out of the blower housing (4) into the free environment, and wherein the partial airflow indirectly flows out into the free environment through the soundproofing device, wherein the soundproofing device has a higher air permeability for the partial airflow compared to the remainder of the airflow.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a blower for a vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such blowers for vacuum cleaners are already known from the prior art in a multitude of embodiments and comprise a blower housing, an electric motor with a motor housing that limits the electric motor to the outside, a fan wheel driven by the electric motor to generate an airflow from a blower inlet opening of the blower housing through an air channel formed between the blower housing and the motor housing to a blower outlet opening of the blower housing, and a sound insulation device for damping the sound emitted by the electric motor, wherein, on the one hand, the electric motor and the fan wheel are arranged in the blower housing, and, on the other hand, the sound insulation device covers the blower outlet opening from the outside in an air-permeable manner, and wherein the airflow flowing through the blower housing at least partially escapes from the blower into a free environment through the sound insulation device.

[0003] The documents DE 10200913 A1, DE 102005058940 A1 and EP 0896759 A1 each relate to a high-speed electric motor for a household appliance, in particular for a vacuum cleaner.

[0004] Document CN 105864061 A relates to a blower with two air passages, the second air passage being intended for cooling the electric motor.

[0005] The invention therefore faces the problem of improving a blower for a vacuum cleaner.

[0006] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a blower with the features of claim 1, characterized in that the motor housing has at least one motor inlet opening and at least one motor outlet opening, wherein the blower housing, the motor inlet opening, the motor outlet opening, and the soundproofing device are designed to be coordinated with one another such that a partial airflow of the airflow through the air duct flows successively in the direction of flow into the motor inlet opening, through the motor housing, out of the motor outlet opening, and out of the blower housing into the free environment. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the following dependent claims.

[0007] The advantage achievable with the invention lies particularly in the improved design of a vacuum cleaner blower. Due to the inventive design of the vacuum cleaner blower, it is possible to achieve both cooling of the blower's electric motor and a reduction of the noise emitted by the blower during operation in a very simple manner, both in terms of construction and manufacturing. This is possible, among other reasons, because the two aforementioned measures—cooling of the electric motor on the one hand and noise reduction on the other—are not addressed separately, but rather implemented as a unified whole, so to speak, according to the invention.The sound insulation device is designed and positioned at the blower outlet opening in such a way that the airflow partially flows through the motor housing and thus cools the electric motor, while a remainder of the airflow flows through the sound insulation device via the blower outlet opening into the free environment.

[0008] In principle, the blower according to the invention can be freely selected within wide suitable limits with regard to type, function, material and dimensions. Furthermore, the blower according to the invention can be suitable for vacuum cleaners designed as household appliances as well as for vacuum cleaners designed as commercial appliances, i.e. vacuum cleaners for professional use.

[0009] An advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the blower housing, the motor inlet opening, the motor outlet opening, and the sound-dampening device are designed to be coordinated such that the partial airflow is less than 50%, preferably less than 30%, and particularly preferably less than 15% of the total airflow. In this way, the majority of the airflow is necessarily directed through the blower outlet opening and thus through the sound-dampening device, so that the acoustics of the blower according to the invention, namely the noise reduction, are significantly improved. This applies particularly to the preferred and especially to the particularly preferred embodiment of this embodiment.

[0010] A further advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the blower housing, the motor inlet opening, the motor outlet opening, and the soundproofing device are designed and coordinated in such a way that the ratio of partial airflow to full airflow is predetermined by the size and number of the at least one motor inlet opening and / or the size and number of the at least one motor outlet opening and / or the air permeability of the soundproofing device. This allows the ratio of partial airflow to full airflow to be pre-adjusted in a particularly simple manner from a design and manufacturing perspective.

[0011] According to the invention, the blower housing, the motor outlet opening, and the soundproofing device are designed to be coordinated such that the partial airflow flows indirectly through the soundproofing device into the surrounding environment, the soundproofing device having a higher air permeability for the partial airflow compared to the rest of the airflow. In this way, the flow resistance for the partial airflow is reduced compared to the rest of the airflow, ensuring that a sufficient quantity of air flows through the motor housing to cool the electric motor.

[0012] A further advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the sound-insulating device comprises at least one air-permeable foam part, preferably that the sound-insulating device is designed as at least one air-permeable foam part, and particularly preferably that the sound-insulating device is designed as a single air-permeable foam part. This allows the sound-insulating device to be implemented in a very simple and therefore cost-effective manner. Depending on the degree of air permeability of the at least one foam part, the ratio of partial airflow to airflow can thus be easily determined in advance.

[0013] Another advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the sound-insulating device is positively connected to the blower housing. In this way, a substantially airtight connection between the sound-insulating device and the blower housing is particularly easy to implement in terms of design and manufacturing.

[0014] A further advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the at least one motor inlet opening and / or the at least one motor outlet opening are designed as a plurality of openings, preferably that this plurality of openings is arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the motor housing, and particularly preferably that this plurality of openings is designed as a total of three openings, each of which is arranged offset by 120° on the motor housing. This allows a sufficiently large partial airflow to be generated for cooling the electric motor without requiring a single opening in the motor housing to be structurally and aerodynamically excessively large.The preferred embodiment of this further development has the additional advantage that the airflow through the motor housing for cooling the electric motor is uniform around the circumference, so that the electric motor is adequately cooled on all sides. Furthermore, the particularly preferred embodiment of this further development has the additional advantage that it allows for a particularly advantageous adjustment of the number of openings, the size of each opening, and the circumferential distribution of the openings.

[0015] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the blower according to the invention provides that the motor housing is designed as an integral component of a guide stage of the blower, wherein the guide stage is arranged in or formed on the blower housing. In this way, a separate motor housing for the electric motor is unnecessary. Instead, a guide stage of the blower is used as the motor housing of the electric motor, so that, in addition to its main function of guiding the airflow conveyed by the fan wheel, the guide stage also serves as the motor housing.

[0016] As explained above, the blower according to the invention can be freely selected within wide suitable limits. This also applies to its field of application. The blower is particularly advantageous as a vacuum cleaner blower, especially as a cordless vacuum cleaner blower. Naturally, such devices offer very little installation space for the blower according to the invention and any additional sound insulation.

[0017] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows Fig. 1 An embodiment of the blower according to the invention in a side view, Fig. 2 the embodiment in a way that is related to the Fig. 1 corresponding sectional view and Fig. 3 the embodiment in a cross-section in the area of ​​the engine intake openings.

[0018] In the Fig. Figures 1 to 3 are an exemplary embodiment of the blower according to the invention for a vacuum cleaner.

[0019] The blower 2 is designed here as a blower for a household vacuum cleaner, namely a cordless vacuum cleaner, and comprises a blower housing 4, an electric motor 6 with a motor housing 8 that encloses the electric motor 6 externally, a fan wheel 10 driven by the electric motor 6 to generate an airflow from a blower inlet opening 12 of the blower housing 4 through an air channel 14 formed between the blower housing 4 and the motor housing 8 to a blower outlet opening 16 of the blower housing 4, and a sound insulation device 18 for damping the sound emitted by the electric motor 6, wherein, firstly, the electric motor 6 and the fan wheel 10 are arranged in the blower housing 4, and secondly, the sound insulation device 18 covers the blower outlet opening 16 from the outside in an air-permeable manner, and wherein the airflow through the blower housing 4 at least partially escapes from the blower 2 through the soundproofing device 18 into a free environment.The airflow is in the . Fig. 2 is symbolized by filled arrows 20.

[0020] According to the invention, the motor housing 8 has at least one motor inlet opening 22 and at least one motor outlet opening 24, wherein the blower housing 4, the motor inlet opening 22, the motor outlet opening 24, and the soundproofing device 18 are designed to be coordinated with one another such that a partial airflow of the airflow 20 flowing through the air duct 14 flows successively in the direction of flow into the motor inlet opening 22, through the motor housing 8, out of the motor outlet opening 24, and out of the blower housing 4 into the free environment. The partial airflow is in the Fig. 2 is symbolized by unfilled arrows 26. In the present embodiment, the motor housing 8 is designed as an integral part of a guide stage of the blower 2, wherein the guide stage, i.e., the motor housing 8, is formed on the blower housing 4. However, it is also conceivable that the guide stage of the blower, i.e., for example, the guide stage designed as a motor housing in the present embodiment, is arranged as a separate component of the blower within the blower housing.

[0021] As from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the blower housing 4, the motor outlet opening 24, and the sound-insulating device 18 are designed to be coordinated such that the partial airflow 26 flows at least partially directly from the motor outlet opening 24 into the surrounding environment. However, it is also conceivable that the partial airflow 26 flows at least partially indirectly into the surrounding environment through the sound-insulating device 18, whereby the sound-insulating device 18 may, for example, have a higher air permeability for the partial airflow 26 compared to the remainder of the airflow 20.The at least one engine inlet opening 22 and / or the at least one engine outlet opening 24 are / are designed here as a plurality of openings, namely such that this plurality of openings is arranged evenly distributed around a circumference of the engine housing 8, wherein this plurality of openings is designed as a total of three openings, and wherein these openings are each arranged offset by 120° on the engine housing 4. See in particular the . Fig. 3.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the sound-insulating device 18 comprises at least one air-permeable foam component. For example, the sound-insulating device 18 can be designed as at least one air-permeable foam component. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sound-insulating device 18 can be designed as a single air-permeable foam component.

[0023] Furthermore, the sound insulation device 18 is positively connected to the blower housing 4, such that the air-permeable sound insulation device 18 forms an airtight seal against the blower housing 4. Accordingly, the airflow 20 passing through the blower outlet opening 16 is forced to flow through the sound insulation device 18 towards the surrounding environment, thus effectively preventing any unwanted bypass flow of this air around the sound insulation device 18.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the at least one motor inlet opening 22, the at least one motor outlet opening 24, and the sound-dampening device 18 are designed to be coordinated such that the partial airflow 26 is less than 50%, preferably less than 30%, and particularly preferably less than 15% of the total airflow. For this purpose, the blower housing 4, the at least one motor inlet opening 22, the at least one motor outlet opening 24, and the sound-dampening device 18 are designed to be coordinated such that the ratio of partial airflow 26 to total airflow 20 is predetermined by the size and number of the at least one motor inlet opening 22 and / or the size and number of the at least one motor outlet opening 24 and / or the air permeability of the sound-dampening device 18.

[0025] The following describes the functioning of the blower according to the invention, as illustrated in the present embodiment: Fig.1 to 3 explained in more detail.

[0026] The blower 2 is in operation, so that the electric motor 6 drives the fan wheel 10 in a manner known to those skilled in the art. The rotation of the fan wheel 10 draws air from the surrounding environment into the blower housing 4 via the blower inlet opening 12, through an air duct 14 formed between the blower housing 4 and the motor housing 8 (which acts as a guide stage), and towards the blower outlet opening 16 of the blower housing 4. Due to the flow resistance of the air-permeable sound-insulating device 18, a partial airflow 26 of the airflow 20 flowing through the air duct 14 is successively directed in the direction of flow into the at least one motor inlet opening 22, through the motor housing 8, out of the at least one motor outlet opening 24, and out of the blower housing 4, for example, directly into the surrounding environment. This process cools the electric motor 6.The remainder of the airflow 20 escapes indirectly, i.e., by passing through the sound-absorbing device 18, into the surrounding environment. Since only a small portion of the airflow 20, as partial airflow 26, escapes directly into the surrounding environment, and the remainder, i.e., the majority of the airflow 20, escapes indirectly through the sound-absorbing device 18, effective cooling of the electric motor 6 is achieved, along with very good noise reduction during the operation of the blower 2.

[0027] Due to the design of the blower 2 according to the invention, it is thus possible to achieve, on the one hand, cooling of the electric motor 6 of the blower 2 and, on the other hand, a reduction of the noise emitted by the blower 2 during its operation in a very simple manner from a design and manufacturing perspective. This is possible, among other reasons, because the two aforementioned measures, i.e., the cooling of the electric motor 6 on the one hand and the noise reduction on the other, are not, as is usual in the prior art, solved separately, but are implemented in a unified manner according to the invention, i.e., as a single unit.

Claims

[1] Blower (2) for a vacuum cleaner, comprising a blower housing (4), an electric motor (6) with a motor housing (8) that encloses the electric motor (6) externally, a fan wheel (10) driven by the electric motor (6) to generate an airflow (20) from a blower inlet opening (12) of the blower housing (4) through an air channel (14) formed between the blower housing (4) and the motor housing (8) to a blower outlet opening (16) of the blower housing (4), and a sound insulation device (18) for attenuating the sound emitted by the electric motor (6), wherein, on the one hand, the electric motor (6) and the fan wheel (10) are arranged in the blower housing (4), and, on the other hand, the sound insulation device (18) covers the blower outlet opening (16) from the outside in an air-permeable manner, and wherein the blower housing (4) airflow (20) at least partially escapes through the soundproofing device (18) from the blower (2) into a free environment,wherein the motor housing (8) has at least one motor inlet opening (22) and at least one motor outlet opening (24), wherein the blower housing (4), the motor inlet opening (22), the motor outlet opening (24) and the soundproofing device (18) are designed to be coordinated such that a partial airflow (26) of the airflow (20) flowing through the air duct (14) flows successively in the direction of flow into the motor inlet opening (22), through the motor housing (8), out of the motor outlet opening (24) and out of the blower housing (4) into the free environment, and wherein the partial airflow indirectly flows out into the free environment through the soundproofing device, wherein the soundproofing device has a higher air permeability for the partial airflow compared to the remainder of the airflow. [2] Blower (2) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the blower housing (4), the motor inlet opening (22), the motor outlet opening (24) and the sound insulation device (18) are designed to be coordinated such that the partial airflow (26) is less than 50%, preferably less than 30%, particularly preferably less than 15% of the airflow (20). [3] Blower (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the blower housing (4), the motor inlet opening (22), the motor outlet opening (24) and the sound insulation device (18) are designed in such a way that the ratio of partial airflow (26) to airflow (20) is predetermined by means of the size and number of the at least one motor inlet opening (22) and / or the size and number of the at least one motor outlet opening (24) and / or the air permeability of the sound insulation device (18). [4] Blower (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the sound insulation device (18) comprises at least one air-permeable foam part, preferably that the sound insulation device (18) is designed as at least one air-permeable foam part, particularly preferably that the sound insulation device (18) is designed as a single air-permeable foam part. [5] Blower (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the sound insulation device (18) is positively connected to the blower housing (4). [6] Blower (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, that the at least one engine inlet opening (22) and / or the at least one engine outlet opening (24) are designed as a plurality of openings, preferably that this plurality of openings is arranged evenly distributed around a circumference of the engine housing (8), particularly preferably that this plurality of openings is designed as a total of three openings, wherein these openings are each arranged offset by 120° on the engine housing (8). [7] Blower (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the blower (2) is designed as a vacuum cleaner blower, preferably as a battery-powered vacuum cleaner blower.

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