Suction device for cleaning a floor surface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suction device (1) for cleaning a floor surface (2) according to the preamble of claim 1. In order to provide a suction device (1) in which, in the first operating position (8) of the suction device (6), parking in an upright position can be avoided, it is proposed according to the invention that the joint sleeve has a locking element (23) which, in a locking position (30), prevents a relative rotational movement of the joint sleeve (15) to the cleaning element (4), wherein the nozzle (20) of the suction device (6) has an actuating element (29) by means of which the locking element (23) can be moved from a rest position (25) to its locking position (30).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The suction device can be designed, in particular, as a vacuum cleaner. The suction device comprises at least one handle and at least one cleaning element, the latter being designed to collect dust and dirt particles on the floor surface to be cleaned.

[0003] Furthermore, the suction device is assigned at least one air guiding device that can be fluidly connected to the cleaning element. The air guiding device is typically designed in the form of at least one rigid suction pipe. However, it can also be provided that the air guiding device is designed, at least in sections, in the form of a flexible suction pipe.

[0004] The air guiding device connects the cleaning element of the suction device to a suction unit associated with the suction device. The latter comprises at least one dirt collection container for accommodating the dust and dirt particles collected by the cleaning element, as well as at least one fan for generating a suction air flow. The suction unit can be separated from the other components of the suction device without causing damage. When separated, the suction unit can be used as a handheld vacuum. The suction unit can also include an air guiding device. As a rule, the air guiding device of the suction device can also be equipped with variously designed cleaning elements.

[0005] To drive the fan of the suction device, the suction device also has at least one energy storage unit. The energy storage unit is typically in the form of a rechargeable battery. For this reason, the energy storage unit can be removed from the suction device without causing damage. This allows the energy storage unit to be recharged anywhere. When in operation, the fan generates a suction air flow, which guides the dust and dirt particles to be picked up from the floor surface from the cleaning element via the air guide device into the dirt collection container of the suction device.

[0006] If the suction unit is separated from the other components, the blower can also be used to collect dust and dirt particles. In this case, the dust and dirt particles are collected by a connected cleaning element and directed into the dirt collection container via the air guide element assigned to the suction unit.

[0007] The suction device as a whole can be mounted on the air guide device in two operating positions. In a first operating position, the suction device is arranged in a first end area of ​​the air guide device. The first end area is facing away from the cleaning element. Typically, the handle of the suction device can be located in this area. In the first operating position, the suction device can be used, in particular, for cleaning floor areas under furniture without the suction device getting in the way.

[0008] In a second operating position, the suction device is arranged in a second end region of the air guiding device. The second end region faces the cleaning element. Due to the center of gravity of the suction device being shifted toward the floor surface, the second operating position typically enables the suction device to function independently, which is generally not possible when the suction device is in the first operating position.

[0009] The cleaning element has a joint sleeve for detachable connection to a corresponding nozzle of the suction device or to a corresponding nozzle of the air guide device. This enables a rotational movement of the suction device and / or air guide device about at least one axis of rotation, thus enabling convenient operation of the suction device. This allows an inclination of the air guide device and suction device relative to a floor surface, which is useful when the operator moves the suction device back and forth. The joint sleeve can also allow an additional rotational movement about a vertical axis of rotation, thus enabling easy turning of the cleaning element on the floor surface.

[0010] A large number of suction devices of the type described above are known in the prior art. As an example, reference is made to the applicant's suction device called "Triflex". A problem with the aforementioned suction device has been found to be that the suction device cannot be reliably placed upright in its first operating position, in which the suction device is at a greater distance from the floor surface. If a user nevertheless places the suction device upright in its first operating position, it is increasingly likely that the suction device is not balanced and tips over. This can cause damage to the floor surface or to nearby objects or walls that the falling suction device scrapes against. Furthermore, damage to the suction device itself can also occur.

[0011] The vacuum cleaner can be reliably parked upright with its suction unit in its second operating position due to its center of gravity being closer to the ground. Therefore, an inattentive user of the vacuum cleaner may park it upright even when the suction unit is in its first operating position. Consequently, the user of the vacuum cleaner must carefully observe the operating position of the suction unit to determine whether upright parking is practical and reliably possible.

[0012] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a suction device in which, in the first operating position of the suction device, it can be avoided that it is parked in an upright position.

[0013] The underlying object is achieved according to the invention by means of a suction device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the associated subclaims.

[0014] The suction device according to the invention is characterized in that the joint sleeve has a locking element that, in a locking position, prevents a relative rotational movement of the joint sleeve to the cleaning element. The connecting piece of the suction device has an actuating element by means of which the locking element can be transferred from a rest position to its locking position. Consequently, the locking element can only be actuated in the second operating position of the suction device, whereas the locking element cannot be actuated in the first operating position, in which the air guiding device is connected by its connecting piece to the joint sleeve of the cleaning element.If the user places the suction device in an upright position in its first operating position, the locking element is not activated and the suction device immediately loses its balance and tips over, signaling to the user that it is not possible to place the suction device in an upright position.

[0015] In the second operating position of the suction device, in which it is directly fixed with its connecting piece in the joint sleeve, the locking element can be actuated by the actuating element—preferably in the upright position—so that rotational movement of the joint sleeve is prevented and the suction device can be stored in a stable upright position. The locking element can preferably be inserted into a corresponding counter-contour of the cleaning element.

[0016] The blocking element can therefore only be activated if the suction device is directly coupled to the cleaning element and not if the air guiding device is directly coupled to the cleaning element.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a release element is provided for releasing the locking position. This ensures that the suction action can be resumed with the suction device parked upright after the locking position has been released.

[0018] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the locking element is designed as a rod-shaped plunger that is mounted for longitudinal displacement. A rod-shaped plunger can be made of various materials and, due to its simplicity, is particularly well-suited as a locking element.

[0019] Advantageously, the blocking element can have a head with an enlarged diameter or an enlarged width, on which the actuating element of the nozzle of the suction device engages when the blocking element is actuated.

[0020] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking element can be preloaded in its locking position by means of a compression spring. This provides a particularly simple way of activating and deactivating the locking element. A locking lug, for example, can be used to secure the compression spring, which, when the compression spring is in a compressed position, engages, for example, in a corresponding notch.

[0021] A particularly advantageous further development of the suction device according to the invention provides that the actuating element of the nozzle of the suction device is designed as a rigid projection with a length, wherein the length corresponds at least to a length of a stroke of the locking element.

[0022] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting piece of the air guiding device has a rigid projection with a length that is less than the length of the projection of the connecting piece of the suction device. Thus, the projection can also be considered an actuating element, but it only allows displacement of the locking element over a length that is less than the stroke of the locking element, so that activation of the locking element is prevented.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning element is designed in the form of a floor nozzle, an upholstery nozzle, a crevice nozzle, a mattress nozzle, or a suction brush. The aforementioned cleaning elements have proven particularly advantageous. If the cleaning device is to be used as a vacuum cleaner, a floor nozzle can be used as the cleaning element if the vacuum cleaner is to be used to clean the floor surface. However, if baseboards or a couch are to be vacuumed, the cleaning element can be changed.

[0024] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1 A suction device according to the invention with a suction device of the suction device in a first operating position. Fig. 2 How Fig. 1, wherein the suction device is in a second operating position. Fig. 3 How Fig. 2, wherein a handle, the suction device, an air guiding device and a cleaning element are separated from each other. Fig. 4 How Fig. 3, wherein the handle is arranged on the suction device with an alternative brush. Fig. 5a, b A vertical section through a nozzle of the suction device Fig. 6 Each shows a schematic representation of the mode of operation of the blocking element according to the invention.

[0025] An example of a suction device 1 according to the invention for cleaning a floor surface 2 is shown in the Fig. 1 to 6. The suction device 1, which is designed in the form of a vacuum cleaner 18, has a suction device 6, which is fluidly connected by means of an air line device 5 in the form of a rigid suction pipe 12 to a cleaning element 4 in the form of a floor nozzle 14. The floor nozzle 14 is provided with a suction mouth, which makes it possible to pick up dust and dirt particles from the floor surface 2. The floor nozzle 14 is equipped with two wheels, not shown in the figures, which enable the floor nozzle 14 to be moved across the floor surface 2. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 18 has a handle 3, which is arranged at an end of the suction device 6 facing away from the cleaning element 4.

[0026] Furthermore, the suction device 6 of the suction apparatus 1 comprises a fan (not shown in the figures) which generates a suction air flow, under the effect of which the dust and dirt particles located on the floor surface 2 can be conveyed from the suction mouth via the air guiding device 5 into a dirt collecting container of the suction device 6 (also not shown in the figures).

[0027] The suction device 6 can be separated from the air guide device 5 without causing any damage. In this way, the suction device 6 can be used as a handheld vacuum cleaner 7, for example, to vacuum crumbs from a work surface or skirting boards. Such a condition is Fig. 4 shown.

[0028] The suction device 6 can also be transferred between a first operating position 8 and a second operating position 9. When in the first operating position 8, which in the Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the suction device 6 is arranged in a first end region 10 of the air guiding device 5, facing away from the floor nozzle 14. The first operating position 8 of the suction device 6 is particularly suitable for vacuuming floor surfaces 2 beneath furniture, since these are particularly easy to reach due to the low height of the floor nozzle 14.

[0029] When the suction device 6 is in the second operating position 9, the suction device 6 is arranged in a second end region 11 of the air guiding device 5 facing the floor nozzle 14, as can be seen from Fig. 2. Such an arrangement of the suction device 6 enables a freestanding construction of the vacuum cleaner 18. The vacuum cleaner 18 can therefore be parked in a freestanding position - for interruption or at the end of the vacuuming process - and no holders or supports for the vacuum cleaner 18 are required. In order to be able to transfer the suction device 6 between the first operating position 8 and the second operating position 9, the components of the suction device 1, namely the cleaning element 4, the air guiding device 5, the suction device 6 and the handle 3, are detachably connectable to one another and have corresponding connecting elements 13 for this purpose: The cleaning element 4 has a connecting element 13 in the form of a joint sleeve 15. The suction device 6 has two connecting elements 13. While a first connecting element 13 of the suction device 6 is in the form of a nozzle 20, the second connecting element 13 is in the form of a receptacle 17. The suction tube 12 also has two connecting elements 13, wherein a first connecting element 13 is in the form of a simple tube end 16, while a second connecting element 13 is in the form of a nozzle 19. The handle 3 also has a nozzle 21.

[0030] Either the nozzle 20 of the suction device 6 or the pipe end 16 of the suction pipe 12 can be inserted into the joint sleeve 15 of the cleaning element 4 and can be detachably connected to the joint sleeve 15. In the first case, the pipe end 16 of the suction pipe 12 can be inserted into the receptacle 17 of the suction device 6, while the handle 3 with its nozzle 21 can be connected to the nozzle 19 of the suction pipe 12. In such an arrangement, the suction device 6 is located in the second, in Fig. 2, in which the cleaning device 6 is arranged closer to the floor surface 2. In the other case, the nozzle 19 of the suction pipe 12 can be connected to the nozzle 20 of the cleaning device 6, while the handle with its nozzle 21 can be connected to the receptacle 17. In this arrangement, the suction device 6 is in the first, in the Fig. 1, in which the cleaning device 6 is arranged away from the floor surface 2.

[0031] A detailed view of the individual components of the suction device 1 according to the invention is shown in the Fig. 3 shown.

[0032] The joint sleeve 15 is articulated to the cleaning element 4 such that the joint sleeve 15 can rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation 22 relative to the cleaning element 4. This enables a rotational movement of the suction tube 12 and the suction device 6 relative to the cleaning element 4. Furthermore, the joint sleeve 15 can also be designed such that it can additionally rotate about a vertical axis.

[0033] According to the invention, the joint sleeve 15 is equipped with a locking element 23 which is Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b and in the Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b is clearly visible, whereby the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b each show a vertical section of the joint sleeve 15 and the Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b each shows a schematic representation of the mode of operation of the locking element 23 according to the invention. In the present example, the locking element 23 is designed as a rod-shaped plunger which is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direction 24.

[0034] In the Fig. 5a and Fig. 6a, the locking element 23 is shown in its inactive state, in which it is in its rest position 25 and lies entirely within the joint sleeve 15. The plunger is thereby by means of a spring 31, in particular a compression spring, which is in the Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b is schematically shown as a dashed line 32, is prestressed counter to the longitudinal direction 24, so that the locking element 23 does not protrude from the joint sleeve 15 when in the inactive state. A head 26 with an increased width is formed at an upper end of the locking element 23, so that a projection 28 facing away from an outer region 27 is formed at the transition of the rod-shaped plunger to the head 26.

[0035] Furthermore, the Fig. 5a an actuating element 29 can be seen, which is arranged in the nozzle 20 of the suction device 6, wherein the nozzle 20 is in the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b is not shown for the sake of clarity. The actuating element 29 is designed as a projection or cam. If the nozzle 20 of the suction device 6 is inserted into the joint sleeve 15, the actuating element 29 comes into contact with the head 26 of the blocking element 23 and pushes the blocking element 23 downwards over a path with the length L2, so that the blocking element 23 protrudes accordingly from an underside of the joint sleeve 15. The part of the blocking element 23 protruding beyond the underside of the joint sleeve 15 also has the length L2. The protruding part of the blocking element 23 is thereby inserted into a Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b schematically indicated counter contour 33 of the cleaning element 4 is inserted. This position corresponds to a locking position 30 and is in the Fig.5b. The spring causes the locking element 23 to return to its original position as soon as the connection between the suction device 6 and the floor nozzle 14 is released.

[0036] In the locked position 30, the locking element 23 thus protrudes from the joint sleeve 15, preventing any rotational movement of the joint sleeve 15 relative to the cleaning element 4. Accordingly, the suction device 1 is fixed in an upright position in the locked position 30. This fixation indicates to a user of the suction device 1 that the suction device 1 can be independently parked without risking the suction device 1 tipping over.

[0037] The nozzle 19 of the air guiding device 5 does not have an actuating element, so that the locking element 23 cannot be activated when the suction device 6 is in the first operating position 8. If the suction device 1 is placed upright in the first operating position 8, it immediately becomes unbalanced and tips over, signaling to the user that it cannot be placed in the upright position.

[0038] Alternatively, the nozzle 19 of the air guiding device 5 can also be equipped with an actuating element 34, for example in the form of a rigid projection, which, however, causes a displacement of the blocking element 23 over a length L1 which is shorter than the length L2, so that the blocking element 23 does not protrude or only slightly protrudes from the joint sleeve 15, but does not fix the suction pipe 12.

[0039] In order to enable convenient use of the suction device 1 in the second operating position 9 with pivotable suction pipe 12 and suction device 6, the joint sleeve 15 has an unlocking element (not shown in the figures) for canceling the locking position 30, so that the locking element 23 is in the rest position 25, in which it is inactive and does not prevent a relative rotational movement between the joint sleeve 15 and the cleaning element 4. List of reference symbols 1 suction device 2 floor area 3 Grab handle 4 cleaning element 5 Air guiding device 6 Suction device 7 handheld vacuum cleaners 8 first operating position 9 second operating position 10 first end area 11 second end area 12 intake manifold 13 Connecting element 14 Floor nozzle 15 Joint sleeve 16 Pipe end 17 recording 18 vacuum cleaners 19 Nozzle of the air guiding device 20 nozzle of the suction device 21 Support of the handle 22 Horizontal axis of rotation 23 Locking element 24 Longitudinal direction 25 Rest position 26 heads 27 Outdoor area 28 jump 29 Actuating element 30 Locking position 31 spring 32 dashed line 33 Counter contour 34 Actuating element intake manifold L1 length L2 length

Claims

[1] Suction device (1) for cleaning a floor surface (2), comprising - at least one handle (3), - at least one cleaning element (4) for collecting (13) dust and dirt particles located on the floor surface (2), - at least one air guiding device (5) fluidically connected to the cleaning element (4), - at least one suction device (6) which can be fluidically connected to the air guiding device (5), the suction device (6) comprising ▪ at least one dirt collection container for storing the collected dust and dirt particles and ▪ at least one fan to generate a suction air flow, - whereby the dust and dirt particles can be guided from the cleaning element (4) via the air guiding device (5) to the dirt collecting container under the effect of the suction air flow, - wherein the suction device (6) can be detached from the air guiding device (5) without causing any damage and can be used as a hand-held vacuum cleaner (7), - wherein the suction device (6) is transferable at least between a first operating position (8) and a second operating position (9), wherein the suction device (6) is arranged in a first end region (10) of the air guiding device (5) facing away from the cleaning element (4) when in the first operating position (8) and in a second end region (11) of the air guiding device (5) facing the cleaning element (4) when in the second operating position (9), - wherein the cleaning element (4) has a joint sleeve (15) for detachable connection to a corresponding nozzle (20) of the suction device (6) or to a corresponding nozzle (19) of the air guiding device (5), characterized by , that - the joint sleeve has a locking element (23) which, in a locking position (30), prevents a relative rotational movement of the joint sleeve (15) to the cleaning element (4), - wherein the nozzle (20) of the suction device (6) has an actuating element (29) by means of which the blocking element (23) can be transferred from a rest position (25) into its blocking position (30). [2] Suction device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by an unlocking element for releasing the locking position (30). [3] Suction device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the locking element (23) is designed as a rod-shaped plunger which is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direction (24). [4] Suction device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the locking element (23) has a head with an enlarged diameter, on which the actuating element (29) engages when the locking element (23) is actuated. [5] Suction device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the locking element (23) is pretensioned in its locking position (30) by means of a compression spring (31). [6] Suction device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (29) of the nozzle (20) of the suction device (6) is designed as a rigid projection with a length (L2), wherein the length (L2) corresponds at least to a length of a stroke of the blocking element (23) for reaching the blocking position (30). [7] Suction device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the nozzle (19) of the air guiding device (5) has a rigid projection with a length (L1) which is smaller than the length (L2). [8] Suction device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the cleaning element (4) is designed in the form of a floor nozzle, an upholstery nozzle, a crevice nozzle, a mattress nozzle or a suction brush.

Images