Filtration unit for cleaning equipment

Abstract

A filtration unit (2) for cleaning equipment (100) comprises: a collection container (3) of waste material, such as dust and debris, a suction generator (10) generates an flow adapted to carry the waste material from the outside to the inside of the collection container; a dynamic separator element (4) which is crossed by said air flow and interposed between said collection container (3) and said suction generator (10); wherein nebulizing means (8) disposed in the collection container (3) and cooperating with the dynamic separator element (4) are provided to deliver toward the latter a j et (23) in nebulized form of a liquid for abating the waste material so as to intercept said waste material in order to separate it from the air flow and hold it inside said collection container (3).

Description

[0001] " FILTRATION UNIT FOR CLEANING EQUIPMENT"

[0002] * * * * *

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] Field of the invention

[0005] The present invention concerns a filtration unit for cleaning equipment, generally usable to be mounted on industrial or domestic vacuum cleaners and abate polluting components collected in a liquid agent contained in a tank provided with the vacuum cleaner.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Vacuum cleaners have long been known, both for domestic and industrial use, which are provided with a container that has an inlet opening and an outlet opening and inside which a filtration apparatus is mounted to filter the air flows generated by the suction force of the vacuum cleaner.

[0008] The filtration apparatus comprises a container inside which there is a volume of liquid, normally water, in which the sucked air flows are bubbled to release debris and dirt particles collected and carried in suspension into the liquid.

[0009] To optimize the filtration capacity, it is also known to arrange, usually but not exclusively, in proximity to the outlet opening of the air flows, a separator unit, known as a dynamic separator, which is composed of a rotating element driven by a special motor or by the same suction force.

[0010] The rotating element is provided with radial and parallel blades, between which the passage spaces of the purified air flows are defined and conveyed outwards.

[0011] The operation of these known filtration apparatuses schematically involves three sequential steps. In a first step, the air flows into the liquid (water) are bubbled through a duct connected to an inlet opening.

[0012] The bubbling produces liquid splashes, typically already polluted processing water, which are directed to the dynamic separator.

[0013] Then follows a second step which comprises the rotation of the dynamic separator which, by rotating, performs the function of nebulizing by friction of the water splashes when they come into contact with the radial blades.

[0014] The water splashes generated, being centrifuged in the radial direction, move in the opposite direction to that of the particles collected and suspended in the air flows, blocking them and causing them to decant into the liquid on the bottom of the container.

[0015] In the third step, the air flow is purified from debris and / or particles no longer in suspension and is therefore conveyed towards the exit opening toward the environment, passing through the spaces defined between the radial blades of the dynamic separator.

[0016] However, this state of the art has some drawbacks.

[0017] A first drawback is that the systems which use a dynamic separator require a minimum amount of predefined liquid, normally water, for the operation of the filtration apparatus, which tends to progressively mix with the sucked material, i. e. with dirt and debris particles, progressively decreasing, or even in some cases zeroing, the filtration capacity.

[0018] The water therefore tends to progressively pass from a transparent state to an increasingly turbid one, until it becomes muddy, with the danger of irreparably damaging the suction part and the filters, when present, placed downstream of the filtration apparatus, thus causing an increase in the general costs for the necessary repairs to restore the operation of the vacuum cleaner.

[0019] In addition, the user is required to constantly check the level and degree of pollution of the liquid and replace it cyclically; however, without the certainty that damage may have already occurred.

[0020] Another drawback is that in the case of turbid or muddy water, the known filtration apparatuses are partially or totally inefficient and, therefore, unhygienic, causing possible pollution of the air flows output to the external environment.

[0021] Yet another drawback is that any detergents would mix with the water used as a filtering element and in which the sucked dirt also converges, whereby it is possible that in contact with the radial blades of the dynamic separator - due to the presence of the detergents - foams could be generated which could inevitably progressively increase to occupy the entire volume of the same container of filtering liquid, and then pour into the external environment through the dynamic separator, nullifying the cleaning work and damaging for example downstream filters, if present.

[0022] A further drawback is given by the need to periodically disassemble and clean the dynamic separator, which is a necessary maintenance operation to be performed by the end user, who, sometimes, does not have the technical knowledge and skills to perform this type of intervention.

[0023] Another drawback is that the generation of splashes and / or drops of filtering liquid caused by the bubbling therein of the air flows sucked and conveyed towards the dynamic separator, being completely random, can leave some areas uncovered that are not able to block debris and / or particles present in suspension in the air flows, causing a decrease in the suction and filtration efficiency.

[0024] A further drawback of the prior art arises during the use of the vacuum cleaner during the cleaning action, in particular through the use of accessories (nozzles and / or brushes), which inevitably acting on the surfaces to be cleaned will have occluded the respective sections of the air flow passage (even partially), with the consequence of generating insufficient air flows in the sucked flows and therefore generating insufficient sprays and / or drops of filtering liquid to feed the dynamic separator, resulting in the filtration being ineffective and inconstant overall.

[0025] Some solutions known in the art are described in BE35427 and US2010 / 044891, in which the duct that carries the air flow interacts with the suction duct of the liquid in such a way that the airflow triggers the recall of the liquid by Venturi effect.

[0026] The solutions described by DE29812110 and DE19829079 provide a component acting as a turbine in which air and liquid are mixed to obtain nebulization.

[0027] These solutions are also affected by some of the drawbacks listed above, in particular because they require a minimum amount of liquid to operate, even at start-up, and have hygiene problems because the liquid which is recalled to the separator is the same in which dirt accumulates. In this regard, precisely to try to limit said hygiene problems, some of these solutions require an additional filter, through which the liquid flow passes before reaching the turbine / separator. Objects and Summary of the Invention

[0028] A purpose of the present invention is to make a filtration unit for cleaning equipment which allows to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art indicated above. A purpose of the present invention is to provide a filtration unit for cleaning equipment provided with a dynamic separator that makes it possible to have an effective suction and filtration capacity, constant over time and regardless of how the vacuum cleaner is used. The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim.

[0029] The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

[0030] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the filtration unit for cleaning equipment comprises a collection container of waste material and a suction generator configured to generate an air flow adapted to carry said waste material from the outside of said cleaning equipment to the inside of said container, wherein the container is provided with an inlet opening for said air flow, carrying the waste material therewith, and with an outlet opening for said air flow purified from said waste material, wherein said outlet opening is in communication with said suction generator. The filtration unit comprises a dynamic separator element crossed by the air flow, interposed between the container and the suction generator and at said outlet opening so as to prevent the waste material from leaving said container when the air flow exits, wherein the dynamic separator element is rotating around an axis of rotation.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, the filtration unit comprises nebulizing means disposed inside the container and cooperating with the dynamic separator element to deliver toward the latter a jet in nebulized form of a liquid for abating the waste material in order to intercept the waste material to separate it from the air flow and hold it inside the container.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment the abatement liquid is water. According to one aspect of the present invention, cleaning equipment is also provided comprising a machine body with which said filtration unit as defined above can be associated.

[0033] One advantage of the filtration unit according to the present invention is that, thanks to the nebulizing means, the waste material is separated from the air flows by a jet of nebulized water coming from a dedicated tank. Thereby, the jet used as filtering element is not water contaminated by dirt and debris, as is the case in the filtering systems known in the art, resulting in a much cleaner and more hygienic filtration unit.

[0034] Brief description of the drawings These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a filtration unit and cleaning equipment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

[0035] Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view of cleaning equipment comprising a filtration unit according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic and simplified exploded view of some components comprised in the cleaning equipment of Fig. 1; Fig. 2a is a schematic and simplified side view of a part of the filtration unit of Fig. 2, in which a dynamic separator element and nebulizing means are visible;

[0037] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a filtration unit according to the present invention;

[0038] fig. 4 is a schematic and simplified side view of the filtration unit of Fig. 2, assembled to a box-shaped body-machine of the cleaning equipment, in which some components have been removed to better illustrate others;

[0039] Fig. 5 is a partial and schematic perspective view of the filtration unit assembled to the machine body illustrated in Fig. 4;

[0040] Fig. 6 is a schematic and partially sectioned top view of a variant of the filtration unit in accordance with the present invention;

[0041] Fig. 7 is a section of the dynamic separator element taken according to the section plane VII-VII of Fig. 6; Fig. 7A is an enlarged detail of Fig. 7;

[0042] Fig. 8 is a partial and schematic exploded view of the variant of Fig. 6.

[0043] To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings.

[0044] Detailed description of a preferred embodiment example Embodiments described using the attached figures refer to a filtration unit for cleaning equipment, indicated overall with the reference number 2 in the attached figures, intended to filter the sucked air flows.

[0045] With particular reference to the figures, it can be noted that cleaning equipment 100 schematically comprises a box-shaped machine body 1, to which a container 3 configured to collect the waste material sucked through the cleaning equipment 100 can be associated. Such a container 3 can be separated from the machine body 1 to facilitate emptying operations, as will be explained in greater detail below.

[0046] The cleaning equipment 100 comprises a suction generator 10, for example of the conventional type, in turn comprising a turbine driven by an electric motor, which, by rotating, generates a suction force to suck waste material from the outside, through a hose P. As known, said waste material can comprise dust and debris, more generally dirt in the liquid, solid, semi-solid, pasty or gelatinous state.

[0047] The hose P at one end engages in a known manner in the machine-body 1 in a removable manner at an attachment opening for the hose, while at the opposite end it receives an interchangeable cleaning tool U, for example a suction head or an elongated suction lance, which the user can replace depending on the peculiarities of the area to be cleaned.

[0048] The path of the air flows sucked by means of the suction generator 10 follows a primary circuit, or primary duct, which carries such flows to enter the container 3 as indicated by the inlet arrow 11A in Fig. 3 and to be removed, purified from the waste material, as indicated by the outlet arrow 11B always in the same figure.

[0049] To allow the passage of the air flow, a pair of openings, 18 and 19, respectively an inlet opening 19 and an outlet opening 18 for said air flow, are made in a wall 3B of the container 3.

[0050] At least one secondary circuit, or secondary duct, is also provided which is crossed by cooling air flows of the electric motor included in the suction generator 10, in particular by an air flow directed towards such an electric motor (arrow 14A) and by an air flow exiting from the electric motor (arrow 14B).

[0051] At the secondary circuit, the mounting of an ion emitter unit 27, both positive and negative, is also provided. The filtration unit 2 comprises nebulizing means 8 of a liquid for abating the sucked waste material and a dynamic separator element 4, disposed to separate the waste material from the air flows sucked with the cleaning equipment, as will be described in more detail below.

[0052] The dynamic separator 4 operates substantially like a cyclone, i. e. rotating about an axis of rotation A thereof, and is driven directly by the suction generator 10 or by the same sucked air flows generated by the latter.

[0053] In more detail, the dynamic separator 4 schematically comprises a three-dimensional body 5, preferably of truncated-conical shape, which, as mentioned, is rotatably supported and which is formed by a plurality of radial fins 6 disposed side by side according to a regular distribution and j oined at the ends, preferably in a monolithic manner, by respective terminal collars 5A (Figures 6 and 8).

[0054] Between the fins 6 there are interposed passage spaces, typically in the form of slits 7, through which the sucked air flows, after being purified from the waste material, can be conveyed back to the external environment without polluting it.

[0055] It should be specified that the definition "dynamic separator" used in the present description refers to the fact that the body 5 performs its function by rotating around the axis A, and not remaining in a static position, so as to project an abatement liquid in a nebulized form in a centrifugal direction, as will be described below.

[0056] The nebulizing means 8 comprise at least one nebulizing nozzle 9 for delivering the abatement liquid in nebulized form, which is preferably water.

[0057] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 2A, the nebulizing nozzle 9 is supported by a flange 11, which defines supporting means which maintain the nebulizing nozzle in a position facing the three-dimensional body 5, preferably but not exclusively, coaxial to the axis of rotation A of the latter.

[0058] The nebulizing nozzle 9 in the form described is single and optionally orientable; however, it is evident to a person of skill in the art that two or more nebulizing nozzles could also be provided, all optionally orientable, assembled together in a group or even separate, and supported on the flange 11.

[0059] The nebulizing nozzle 9 is disposed to emit a j et 23 of abatement liquid in variable three-dimensional shapes, for example full cone, or hollow cone, or truncated cone, cylinder, flat fan and more, according to needs. In all the solutions, the abatement liquid is sent to the nebulizing nozzle 9 through a feed conduit 12 which hydraulically connects it to a tank 13 in which a volume of such abatement liquid is contained.

[0060] The tank 13 is preferably located inside the machinebody 1, as seen in Figures 2, 4 and 5, but could also be located in another area of the cleaning equipment which is easily accessible to perform filling or refilling operations thereof. In other embodiments, not depicted, the tank 13 may also be disposed inside the container 3.

[0061] The tank 13 is provided with at least one level sensor 13A for controlling the amount of abatement liquid present therein.

[0062] Filtering means comprising at least one micro-filter 14 and a pump 15 are mounted along the feed duct 12, the latter having an adjustable flow rate and pressure and disposed to push selected flow rates of abatement liquid toward the nebulizing nozzle 9.

[0063] As seen in particular in the exploded view of Fig. 2, the flange 11 can be fixed, preferably but not exclusively, to the wall 3B of the container 3 and is provided with a pair of holes 16 and 17 which coaxially match the inlet and outlet openings 18, 19.

[0064] The hole 16, and consequently the outlet opening 18, are configured to receive the dynamic separator 4, in particular its body 5, which is free to rotate with respect to the hole 16 and the outlet opening 18.

[0065] On the hole 17, a guide duct 29 is engaged which is crossed by the sucked air flows entering the container 3 through the inlet opening 19 to direct the latter appropriately inside the container 3.

[0066] In this same Figure 2 it can also be noted that the container 3 can be removably and matchingly coupled to the machine-body 1 by means of a pair of hand-operable hooks 21.

[0067] The container 3 is further provided with a lid 20, removably locked, preferably hermetically, to the container 3 by means of a pair of fixing clips 30 so as to be able to remove the lid 20 when the container is to be emptied of the waste material.

[0068] As can be seen in this figure, the filtration unit 2 comprises a support casing C which supports both the dynamic separator element 4 and the suction generator 10. The casing C can be fixed to the machine body 1 in a fixed manner by coupling it to the wall 22 of the latter.

[0069] The casing C comprises at least one passage hole F, configured to be crossed by the dynamic separator element 4 and by the flange 11.

[0070] The passage hole F is substantially coaxial with the axis A, so as to be aligned with the outlet hole 18 of the air flow from the container 3.

[0071] Although the passage hole F is better visible in the exploded view of Fig. 8, it is clear that it is also present in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0072] In one version, the filtration unit 2 can also be provided with antibacterial means 24 for abating the bacterial load of the waste material collected inside the container 3.

[0073] The antibacterial means 24 preferably consist of one or more UVC lamps 25 or one or more UVC LEDs which are mounted in a compartment 26 preferably placed in the lower area of the container 3, so as to irradiate it from below. The compartment 26 is hermetically separated from the container 3 so that what is contained inside such container does not come into direct contact with the lamps 25 and / or UVC LEDs.

[0074] In the illustrated embodiment, the compartment 26 is supported by the casing C.

[0075] The person of skill in the art understands that the antibacterial means 24 could also be placed in other areas of the surface of the container 3 as long as the emitted UVC rays can reach the contents of the container 3. In all the possible solutions, the antibacterial means 24 are removable with respect to the container 3 as needed, for example to maintain or replace the lamps 25 and / or the UVC LEDs. The container 3 can also be provided with at least one respective level sensor 3A (Fig. 2) disposed to detect the level of the material collected therein.

[0076] Both the sensor 13A and the sensor 3A are disposed to interrupt the operation of the cleaning equipment when an insufficient level of abatement liquid or a level of material (dust and debris collected) is detected in the container 3 which has reached the maximum possible capacity. To this end, the sensor 13A is disposed in the lower part of the tank 13 to signal when the water contained therein is about to run out, while the sensor 3A is disposed in the upper part of the container 3 to signal when the material contained therein is about to reach the maximum available capacity.

[0077] Advantageously, one or more watertight connectors 28 can be provided along the duct 12 at the flange 11, suitable for connecting / disconnecting the nebulizing nozzle 9 to / from the tank 13 so as to allow rapid engagement and disengagement.

[0078] Optionally, the flange 11 can also be fixed in a different position with respect to what is illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0079] For example, with reference to Figures 6 and 8, a variant of the filtration unit 2 is described, in which the flange 11 is no longer fixed to the wall 3B of the container 3.

[0080] In this case, the flange 11 is fixed, by suitable fixing means of known type and not shown, such as screws, directly to the casing C. In the illustrated example the fixing takes place at two fixing areas ZF.

[0081] The flange 11 supports both the nebulizing means 8 and a section of the abatement liquid feed duct 12.

[0082] In this version, the flange 11 is shaped differently from the flange described above with reference to the version of Figures 2-5, whereby it comprises only one hole, in this case the hole 16, but not the hole 17. Consequently, in this version the guide duct 29 engages directly in the inlet opening 19 obtained in the wall 3B of the container 3.

[0083] In this case, connectors or couplings, such as the connector 28, may be absent, because the flange 11 always remains in its mounting position, not being integral with the container 3, but with the casing C. This variant therefore advantageously allows the container 3 to be removed, for example when it must be emptied, without removing the flange, which would result in the hydraulic disconnection of the circuit that feeds the abatement liquid to the nebulizing means 8. It is evident that during the removal of the container 3 care will be taken to extract the latter according to the direction of the axis A, thus decoupling it from the flange 11 which remains fixed to the casing C by suitable fixing means of known type.

[0084] The operation of the filtration unit 2 is described below.

[0085] When the cleaning equipment 100 on which the filtration unit 2 according to the invention is mounted is put into operation by a user, the body 5 of the dynamic separator 4 begins to rotate around the axis A thereof.

[0086] At the same time, the turbine of the suction generator 10 generates the suction effect and the sucked air flows, loaded with waste materials coming from a conventional hose P operated by the user and with which the cleaning equipment is normally provided, enter the container 3 through the inlet opening 19. From here such flows enter the guide duct 29 and are directed toward the lid 20 until they hit the latter. It should be noted that the guide duct 29 can still take any shape and direction.

[0087] The impact causes the heavier components present in the flows, which typically constitute the waste materials, to be directed toward the bottom of the container 3. After hitting the lid 20, the sucked airflow (which carries the waste material therewith) enters the body 5 of the separator element in a radial direction (arrow Fl in Fig. 6).

[0088] Simultaneously the pump 15 is activated and the abatement liquid, normally water, contained in the tank 13 is sent to the nebulizing nozzle 9 through the feed duct 12.

[0089] The abatement liquid is then nebulized substantially instantaneously, generating the jet 23 in a predetermined form which is ejected towards the rotating body 5, where it also meets the air flow indicated with the arrows Fl.

[0090] When the nebulized jet 23 meets the fins 6 of the body 5, which is rotating quickly around the axis of rotation A, it is pushed in the centrifugal direction, arrows F2 of Figures 6 and 7, generating a wet barrier that hits the waste material (for example comprising dust and debris) present in the sucked air flows, thus making this material heavy and causing it to fall to the bottom of the container 3 by gravity.

[0091] The air flows deprived of the waste material, arrows F3 in Figures 6 and 7, infiltrate into the slits 7 of the body 5 and leave the container 3 through the outlet opening 18 and are then released into the external environment through suitable openings obtained in the machine body 1, not depicted. Through the secondary circuit, the cooling air flows of the motor of the suction generator 10 are sucked, which are charged with ions generated by the emitter 27, carrying out the dual action of cooling said motor and purifying the outside air.

[0092] The UVC lamps 25 and / or the UVC LEDs keep the material collected inside the container 3 free of bacteria and the sensors 3A control the degree of filling, just as the sensors 13A control the level of abatement liquid inside the tank 13.

[0093] When the container 3 is full or the tank 13 is empty or almost empty, the sensors send a signal which automatically interrupts the operation of the cleaning equipment.

[0094] It is thereby possible for the user to empty the container 3 and / or refill the tank 13.

[0095] To empty the container 3, the user acts on the hooks 21, first releasing the container 3 from the coupling with the machine-body 1 and subsequently the container 3 can be conveniently emptied, simply separating or removing the lid 20 by means of the fixing clips 30. It should be noted that the operation described above applies both to the embodiment of Figures 2-5 and to the variant of Figures 6-8, since the only difference therebetween is given by the mode of fixing the flange 11 which in one case is fixed to the container 3, and in the other case to the casing C.

[0096] Various embodiments may provide for the possibility of disassembling the flange 11, separating it from the container 3 or from the casing C to conveniently proceed with cleaning and maintenance of the nebulizing nozzle 9, before being reassembled in the mounting position. The invention thus conceived is susceptible to many modifications and variants, all falling within the same inventive concept.

[0097] For example, different devices can be provided to determine the nebulizing of the jet of abatement liquid in different ways.

[0098] In a first version, always falling within the scope of the present invention, an ultrasonic device can be provided comprising an element made of a material having piezoelectric effect which is set in vibration at frequencies greater than 20 KHz to determine the nebulization of the abatement liquid.

[0099] In another version, always falling within the scope of the present invention, a pneumatic device for feeding compressed air may be provided which is mixed with the abatement liquid to determine its fractionation into micro-drops. According to a variant of such a version, optionally the compressed air can be replaced by a flow of pressurized steam that can be generated by the steam generator already integrated in the cleaning equipment 10, if such a generator is present.

[0100] In a further version, still falling within the scope of the present invention, a device for emitting electrostatic charges can be provided which polarizes the abatement liquid so that the latter is electrostatically attracted by the dynamic separator element.

[0101] Moreover, all details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0102] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and sizes, can be whatever according to the requirements without for this reason departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

C L A I M S1. Filtration unit (2) for cleaning equipment (100) comprising a collection container (3) of waste material, a suction generator (10) configured, to generate a flow of air adapted to carry said waste material from the outside of said cleaning equipment (100) to the inside of said container (3);wherein said container (3) is provided with an inlet opening (19) for said air flow, carrying the waste material therewith, and an outlet opening (18 ) for said air flow purified from said waste material, wherein said outlet opening (18 ) is in communication with said suction generator (10 ),characterized in that said filtration unit (2 ) comprises:- a dynamic separator element (4) crossed by said air flow, interposed between said container (3) and said suction generator (10) and at said outlet opening (18 ) so as to prevent waste material from leaving said container (3) when the air flow exits, wherein said dynamic separator element (4 ) is rotating around an axis of rotation (A); and- nebulizing means (8 ) disposed inside said container (3) and cooperating with said dynamic separator element (4 ) to deliver toward the latter a jet (23) in nebulized form of a liquid for abating the waste material so as to intercept said waste material in order to separate it from the air flow and hold it inside said container (3).

2. The filtration unit (2) as in claim 1, characterized in that said nebulizing means (8 ) comprise at least one nebulizing nozzle ( 9) disposed in proximity to said dynamic separator element (4) and facing the latter.

3. The filtration unit (2) as in claim 2, characterized in that said nebulizing nozzle ( 9) is configured so as to deliver a three-dimensional j et, preferably conical or truncated-conical.

4. The filtration unit (2) as in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said at least one nebulizing nozzle ( 9) is disposed coaxial to said axis of rotation (A) so as to be coaxial to the axis of rotation of said dynamic separator element (4 ).

5. The filtration unit (2) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises a circuit for feeding the abatement liquid from a tank ( 13) to said nebulizing means (8), wherein the circuit is fluid-dynamically isolated from said container (3) and comprises a duct ( 12 ) which connects the tank (13) to the nebulizing means (8).

6. The filtration unit (2) as in claim 5, characterized in that said tank ( 13) comprises a level sensor (13A) for detecting a level of the abatement liquid so as to stop said suction generator (10 ) when said abatement liquid in the tank (13) falls below a predetermined level detected by the respective level sensor (13A).

7. The filtration unit (2 ) as in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises means for regulating the flow of said abatement liquid which are associated with said feed circuit, wherein said flow rate regulating means comprise a pump ( 9) configured to push selected flow rates of abatement liquid toward said nebulizing means (8).

8. The filtration unit (2) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said container (3) comprises a respective level sensor (3A) for detecting a level of the waste material so as to stop said suction generator( 10) when said waste material in the container (3) exceeds a predetermined level detected by the respective level sensor (3A).

9. The filtration unit (2) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said nebulizing means comprise: - an ultrasonic device comprising an element made of a material having piezoelectric effect which is set in vibration at frequencies greater than 20 KHz to determine the nebulization of the abatement liquid; or - a pneumatic device for feeding compressed air which is mixed with the abatement liquid to determine its fractionation into micro-drops; or- a device for emitting electrostatic charges which polarize the abatement liquid so that the latter is electrostatically attracted by the dynamic separator element (4).

10. The filtration unit (2 ) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it further comprises antibacterial means (24) associated with said container (3) for abating the bacterial load of the waste material collected inside the container (3).

11. The filtration unit (2) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises a casing (C) configured to support both said suction generator (10) and said dynamic separator element (4).

12. The filtration unit (2 ) as in claim 11, when dependent on 10, characterized in that said antibacterial means (24 ) comprise one or more UVC lamps (25) mounted in a compartment (26) supported by said casing (C), hermetically separated from the container (3) and disposed in such a position that the one or more lamps (25) can irradiate the inside of the container13. The filtration unit (2) as in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that it comprises supporting means (11) for said nebulizing means (8), wherein said supporting means (11) are fixed to said casing (C) and pass through said outlet opening (18).

14. The filtration unit (2) as in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises supporting means (11) for said nebulizing means (8), wherein said supporting means (11) are fixed inside the container (3), on a wall (3B) of the latter.

15. Cleaning equipment (100) comprising a machine body (1) with which said filtration unit (2) can be associated and characterized in that it comprises a filtration unit (2) as in one or more of the previous claims.

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