Bagless floor vacuum cleaner

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bagless vacuum cleaner, which will also be referred to simply as a vacuum cleaner. Such a vacuum cleaner typically comprises a housing, which has a suction inlet for drawing in suction air in a front area, a separator, a drive unit, a cable reel, and two wheels. During operation, the suction inlet is provided with a suction hose with, if applicable, a suction nozzle.

[0002] A bagless vacuum cleaner is generally a cyclone vacuum cleaner in which eddies and possible vortices are created in the incoming air stream, whereby the vacuumed material, such as dust particles, is pushed in a predetermined direction and separated due to centrifugal force. The term "bagless" refers to the fact that the vacuum cleaner collects the vacuumed material directly in the separator without a bag or similar replaceable filter medium being arranged therein to hold the vacuumed material. This means that the user does not have to remove a bag or similar item from the separator to empty the vacuumed material. However, the canister vacuum cleaner can have one or more filter media that prevent vacuumed material from entering the drive unit.

[0003] The classic design of such a floor vacuum cleaner is rather linear in terms of the air flow generated during operation by the drive unit. This means that the air is sucked in at the front, passed through the separator for cleaning, then guided through the drive unit and finally blown out to the rear or top. This results in an elongated design of the vacuum cleaner. Position and direction specifications in this application refer to a working position of the vacuum cleaner. In the normal working position, the vacuum cleaner, in particular the suction hose and any suction nozzle attached to it, can have a forward direction of movement, also referred to here as the main direction, and a backward direction of movement when it is moved back and forth during a vacuuming process. The housing of the vacuum cleaner is moved in a direction of travel.The position and direction information in this application relates in particular to a working position, wherein the suction inlet is always arranged in the front area of ​​the vacuum cleaner, wherein the front area is arranged at the front in the direction of travel and the rear area is arranged at the rear in the direction of travel.

[0004] The drive unit and cable reel are relatively heavy components and are usually located at the rear of the vacuum cleaner. This also places the center of gravity toward the rear of the vacuum cleaner and generally requires a carrying handle at the front of the vacuum cleaner, resulting in an upright carrying position.

[0005] The terms "front" and "rear" refer to areas defined as front and rear in relation to the direction of travel by a wheel axis passing through the two pivot points of the two wheels, with the wheel axis forming an (imaginary) dividing line between the front and rear. The front is the area where the suction inlet is located. Due to the center of gravity located in the rear, such a vacuum cleaner can perform a left or right turn by pivoting at the front and "stopping" at the center of gravity at the rear, which can lead to swerving if a user pulls the vacuum behind.

[0006] US 2003 / 208875 A1 discloses a vacuum cleaner with a drive unit in the front area and a cable drum and cutter arranged one above the other in the rear area. The resulting center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner is located in front of the wheel axle, but due to the position of the cable drum, it is located very high in the device body. As a result, the vacuum cleaner is highly prone to tipping.

[0007] The invention therefore addresses the problem of providing a bagless vacuum cleaner that has improved maneuverability.

[0008] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a bagless vacuum cleaner having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

[0009] The advantages achieved with the invention include, in addition to the compactness and excellent maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner, that the vacuum cleaner is relatively small and therefore requires little storage space.

[0010] The invention relates to a bagless vacuum cleaner with a housing having a suction inlet for sucking in suction air in a front area, a separator, a drive unit, a cable drum, two wheels and a wheel axle running through the two pivot points of the two wheels, wherein the drive unit and the cable drum are arranged in a front area in front of the wheel axle and the separator is arranged in a rear area behind the wheel axle, so that a center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner is located in the front area in front of the wheel axle. The separator is preferably arranged in the vacuum cleaner with respect to its longitudinal axis transverse to the direction of travel. This enables a compact design of the vacuum cleaner and optimal center of gravity distribution. Position and direction information refer to the working position and direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner.

[0011] By positioning the separator at the rear and the cable drum and drive unit at the front, the vacuum cleaner achieves optimized weight distribution. This places the center of gravity at the front, in front of the wheels.

[0012] This ensures the vacuum cleaner remains stable. The vacuum cleaner is relatively small, compact, and extremely maneuverable. At the same time, it is powerfully designed. The wheel axle can be physically present on the vacuum cleaner, for example, realized by a connecting rod connecting the wheels. Preferably, the wheel axle is an imaginary line; that is, it is not physically formed.

[0013] The cable reel and the drive unit are arranged next to each other in the front area. For example, the cable reel is arranged on the left in the direction of travel, and the drive unit is arranged next to each other on the right in the direction of travel. The drive unit is preferably a blower. The cable reel and the drive unit are preferably housed in the housing, while the separator comprises a separator container that is preferably detachably connected to the housing.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the center of gravity is at a distance from the wheel axis that is less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 2% of the device's length, which extends along the front and rear areas in the direction of travel. As a result, the left-right rotation of the vacuum cleaner is close to the center of gravity. The center of gravity is understood to be the center of mass. When the separator is removed from the vacuum cleaner, the center of gravity preferably shifts by less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 2% along the device's length compared to when the separator is empty in the vacuum cleaner. This ensures that the vacuum cleaner remains stable even during maintenance when the separator is removed from the vacuum cleaner.During maintenance, the separator is removed from the vacuum cleaner by detaching it from the housing. "Maintenance" means that the separator is removed from the vacuum cleaner for emptying and the vacuum cleaner is briefly placed on a surface without the separator. Because removing the separator causes little or no change in the center of gravity, the vacuum cleaner stands stable on the surface with or without the separator. The center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner is designed in such a way that the vacuum cleaner remains stable and will not tip over, even when placed on a surface with an incline of up to 10°, regardless of whether the separator is attached to the housing or removed from it.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner further comprises a skid, which is arranged in the front area in front of the wheel axle so that the center of gravity is behind it. This further ensures secure stability. The skid is preferably arranged and designed such that the vacuum cleaner rests on it and the wheels on the ground during operation and is movable.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner further comprises a carrying handle arranged on the top side of the vacuum cleaner. This makes the vacuum cleaner easy to carry. To carry the vacuum cleaner, it does not have to be tilted first; instead, it can be lifted into the operating position and carried directly by the top carrying handle, which is gentle on the back. The carrying handle is preferably formed on the housing. The vacuum cleaner preferably further comprises a separator carrying handle arranged on the separator and by means of which the separator can be carried when it is removed from the housing. The separator carrying handle is preferably also arranged on the top side of the vacuum cleaner.

[0017] Preferably, the vacuum cleaner further comprises one or more control elements located on top of the vacuum cleaner. This makes them easily accessible to the user.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the floor vacuum cleaner further comprises a support wheel arranged and configured such that it only contacts a surface on which the floor vacuum cleaner is arranged in the working position when the skid is spaced from the surface by at least 1 mm, preferably 2 mm, and more preferably 3 mm. This prevents the vacuum cleaner from becoming vulnerable when dragged with a trailing edge on the surface and "scraping" it. This further prevents damage to the surface. The support wheel generally has no contact with the surface and only touches the surface when the vacuum cleaner is or will be slightly raised at the front.

[0019] The support wheel preferably has ribs arranged to protect the support wheel from collisions when the vacuum cleaner is moving in the direction of travel. The ribs serve to protect the support roller in the direction of travel, preventing damage, particularly when driving over thresholds. The support roller preferably has ribs that deflect the direction of travel.

[0020] The wheels of the vacuum cleaner are preferably relatively large. When viewed from the side along its length along the front and rear areas and from above onto a diameter of the wheels, the wheels preferably each have a diameter that is greater than half the maximum height of the housing, more preferably greater than three-quarters of the maximum height of the housing, but smaller than the maximum height. The maximum height of the housing represents a dimension in the working position of the vacuum cleaner, which, starting from the surface on which the vacuum cleaner is standing, extends perpendicularly from the surface at the furthest point from the surface. These relatively large wheels promote better tracking when the vacuum cleaner travels straight ahead.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the wheels have a tilt in a range of 1 to 7°, preferably 2 to 6°. The slight tilt of the wheels in this range improves lateral guidance of the vacuum cleaner. Especially in automobiles, this tilt is referred to as camber or wheel camber. Camber is defined as the angle between the wheel center plane and a perpendicular to the ground at the wheel's contact point.

[0022] Preferably, the suction inlet is located in the front area in a lower region of the vacuum cleaner. Preferably, the suction inlet is formed in the front area of ​​the housing below half the maximum height of the housing.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, a suction flow generated by the drive unit during operation has the following air path: The suction flow flows from the suction inlet through a duct to an upper region of the separator, then through the separator, then through the drive unit, then through an engine compartment, is redirected, and then flows through an exhaust air filter. The duct between the suction inlet and the separator is preferably S-shaped. The air is preferably blown through the drive unit, then into the engine compartment, redirected, and discharged forward to reduce noise from the drive unit.

[0024] Preferably, a bellows seal is arranged between the channel and the separator. This allows for a relatively large amount of clearance at this point.

[0025] Preferably, a replaceable seal is arranged between the separator and a part of the housing containing the drive unit. The seal is preferably arranged on the housing side.

[0026] The exhaust air filter is preferably guided over a sliding gate. The exhaust air filter preferably has an exhaust air grille with a plurality of nozzles, each with a predetermined discharge direction. Upon exiting the vacuum cleaner, the air is blown through the exhaust air grille, which contains a nozzle in each honeycomb that directs the air in a specific discharge direction to prevent the airflow from blowing dirt particles ahead of the vacuum cleaner.

[0027] The vacuum cleaner preferably has a cable duct for the cable drum.

[0028] The separator preferably has a cyclone cylinder, i.e., a cylinder in which the cyclone is generated during operation. The cyclone cylinder is preferably arranged transversely to the direction of travel.

[0029] The vacuum cleaner features a spherical design. This means that when viewed from the side, it is not elongated but rather spherical in shape. This makes it compact.

[0030] An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows schematically and not to scale. Fig. 1 is a sketched sectional view of a bagless vacuum cleaner according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner; Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner; Fig. 4 a partial cross-sectional partial plan view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner; Fig. 5 a front view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner, Fig. 6 a side view of the Fig. 5 shown vacuum cleaner, and Fig. 7 a side view of the Fig. 6 shown vacuum cleaner with the separation container removed.

[0031] Fig. 1 shows a sketched sectional view of a bagless floor vacuum cleaner according to the invention. The vacuum cleaner has a housing 1, which has a suction inlet (not shown) in a front area 7 for sucking in suction air. The vacuum cleaner also has a separator 2, a drive unit 3, a cable drum 4, two wheels 5 and a wheel axle 6 running through the two pivot points of the two wheels 5. The drive unit 3 and the cable drum 4 are arranged in the front area 7 in front of the wheel axle 6, while the separator 2 is arranged in a rear area 8 behind the wheel axle 6, so that a center of gravity S of the vacuum cleaner is located in the front area 7 in front of the wheel axle 6. The wheel axle 6, which represents an imaginary line and is therefore shown in dashed lines, separates the front area 7, which lies in front of the wheel axle 6, and the rear area 8, which lies behind the wheel axle 6. The vacuum cleaner is spherical.During operation, the vacuum cleaner is moved in a direction of travel R. The front section 7 is at the front in the direction of travel R, while the rear section 8 is at the rear in the direction of travel R. The cable drum 4 and the drive unit are arranged next to each other.

[0032] Fig. 2 shows a perspective side view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner has the suction inlet 12, which is arranged in the front area 7 in a lower area 13 of the vacuum cleaner. An exhaust air grille 15 is arranged above the suction inlet 12. The vacuum cleaner has on its upper side a carrying handle 10 for carrying the vacuum cleaner, which is arranged and formed on the housing 1. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner has on its upper side a separator carrying handle 17, which is arranged on the separator 2 and by means of which the separator 2 can be carried separately from the housing 1, ie when the separator 2 has been removed from the housing 1. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner has an operating element 14 on its upper side. The vacuum cleaner has a length L along the front area 7 and the rear area 8.

[0033] Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the Fig. 1 The vacuum cleaner shown in the drawing. A suction hose 16 is mounted on the suction inlet (not shown). The vacuum cleaner has a skid 9, which is arranged in the front area 7 such that the center of gravity (not shown) lies behind it. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner has a support roller 11 in the rear area 8.

[0034] During operation, a suction flow generated by the drive unit 3 has the following air path: The suction flow flows from the suction inlet (not shown) through a duct (not shown) to an upper region of the separator 2, then through the separator 2, then through the drive unit 3, then through an engine compartment (not shown), is redirected and then flows through the exhaust air filter 15.

[0035] Fig. 4 shows another partial cross-sectional partial plan view of the Fig. 1 shown vacuum cleaner. The cable reel 4 and the drive unit 3 are arranged next to each other in the front area 7.

[0036] Fig. 5 shows a front view of the Fig. 1 The vacuum cleaner is arranged on an inclined surface 18, which has a gradient of 10°, indicated by a double arrow, relative to an imaginary flat surface 19. The center of gravity S is located centrally between the two wheels 5, which have an inclination (not shown), i.e., a camber of 4°. The vacuum cleaner stands stably on the surface 18.

[0037] Fig. 6 shows a side view of the Fig. 5 The vacuum cleaner is arranged on the inclined surface 18, which has a gradient of 10°, indicated by the double arrow, relative to the imaginary flat surface 19. The housing 1 and the separator 2 are connected to each other. The center of gravity S is located in the front area 7 in front of the wheel axle 6. The vacuum cleaner stands stably on the surface 18.

[0038] Fig. 7 shows a side view of the Fig. 6 shown vacuum cleaner with the separator container removed. Fig. 7 The vacuum cleaner shown corresponds to the one in Fig. 6 shown vacuum cleaner with the difference that the separator is removed from the housing 1. The center of gravity S is in the front area in front of the wheel axle 6. In comparison to the center of gravity of the Fig. 6 The center of gravity S of the vacuum cleaner shown has not shifted or has shifted only slightly. The vacuum cleaner stands firmly on the surface 18. List of reference symbols

[0039] LDevice length RDiration SCenter of gravity 1Housing 2Separator 3Drive unit 4Cable drum 5Wheel 6Wheel axle 7Front section 8Rear section 9Skid 10Carrying handle 11Support wheel 12Suction inlet 13Lower section 14Control element 15Exhaust air filter 16Suction hose 17Separator carrying handle 18Surface 19Imaginary level surface

Claims

1. Bagless floor-type vacuum cleaner comprising a housing (1) which has a suction inlet (12) in a front region for sucking in suction air, a separator (2), a drive unit (3), a cable drum (4), two wheels (5) and a wheel axle (6) running through the two pivot points of the two wheels (5), the suction inlet (12), the drive unit (3) and the cable drum (4) being arranged in a front region (7) in front of the wheel axle (6) and the separator (2) being arranged in a rear region (8) behind the wheel axle (6), characterised in that the cable roller and the drive unit are arranged next to each other in the front region, so that a centre of gravity (S) of the floor-type vacuum cleaner is located in the front region (7) in front of the wheel axle (6), position and direction information referring to a working position of the floor-type vacuum cleaner.

2. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterised in that the centre of gravity (S) has a distance from the wheel axle (6) which is less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 2% of a device length (L) which extends along the front region (7) and the rear region (8) in a direction of travel (R).

3. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the centre of gravity (S) in the case of a separator (2) removed from the floor-type vacuum cleaner shifts by less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 2%, along the device length (L) compared with the case of an empty separator (2) arranged in the floor-type vacuum cleaner.

4. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by a runner (9) which is arranged in the front region (7) in front of the wheel axle (6) such that the centre of gravity (S) is behind it.

5. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by a carrying handle (10) and / or one or more control elements (14) which is or are arranged on an upper side of the floor-type vacuum cleaner.

6. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to either of the preceding claims 4 or 5, characterised by a support wheel (11) which is arranged and designed such that it exclusively touches a surface (18) on which the floor-type vacuum cleaner is arranged in the working position when the runner (9) is at least 1 mm, preferably 2 mm, more preferably 3 mm away from the surface (18) during operation of the floor-type vacuum cleaner.

7. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, characterised in that the support wheel (11) has ribs which are arranged in the direction of travel (R).

8. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wheels (5) have an inclination in a range of 1 to 7°, preferably 2 to 6°.

9. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the suction inlet (12) in the front region (7) is arranged in a lower region (13) of the floor-type vacuum cleaner.

10. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a suction flow generated during operation by the drive unit (3) has the following air path: the suction flow flows from the suction inlet (12) through a channel to an upper region of the separator (2), then through the separator (2), then through the drive unit (3), then through a motor chamber, is redirected and then flows through an exhaust air filter (15).

11. Floor-type vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a bellows seal is arranged between the channel and the separator (2), in that a replaceable seal is arranged between the separator (2) and a part of the housing (1) containing the drive unit (3) and / or in that the exhaust air filter (15) has an exhaust air grille which has a plurality of nozzles each having a predetermined blow-out direction.