Vacuum cleaner with a cyclonic dust separating device with a hollow body
The vacuum cleaner's innovative design with a hollow body and internal filter simplifies the cleaning process by allowing long hairs to form a removable ball, addressing the challenge of tangled hair removal in cyclone separators.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AB ELECTROLUX
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Cyclone-based vacuum cleaners face difficulties in cleaning out matter, particularly long hairs, which become tightly wound around the filter, making it cumbersome and time-consuming to empty the receptacle.
The vacuum cleaner design features a hollow body with an opening at its distal end and a filter located inside, allowing long hairs to form an easily removable entangled ball, simplifying cleaning by enabling easy removal through the opening.
This configuration significantly simplifies the emptying and cleaning process by preventing long hairs from wrapping around the filter, facilitating efficient disposal of trapped matter into the receptacle.
Smart Images
Figure EP2025051531_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] VACUUM CLEANER
[0002] Technical field
[0003] The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising, a vacuum cleaner housing, an air inlet through which the outside air can be sucked by the vacuum cleaner, at least one air outlet through which air can exit from the vacuum cleaner housing. An air flow path extends between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a suction unit, arranged in the air flow path generates a flow of air in the air flow path from the air inlet to the air outlet. A cyclonic dust separating device is arranged before the suction unit in the airflow path and comprises a conical or cylindrical hollow body projecting in an axial direction into an enveloping enclosure, such that the air flow path can circulate around the hollow body in the enveloping enclosure, and a filter arranged together with the hollow body.
[0004] Background
[0005] Such vacuum cleaners have advantages in that special vacuum cleaner bags are not needed. The cyclonic function accomplished around the hollow body serves to separate high-density dust matter that fall down in a receptacle that can be removed and emptied. Lower-density matter is instead trapped in the filter arranged together with the hollow body and may be removed with the high-density dust matter. Additionally, auxiliary filters, such as foam or so-called HEPA filters, may be arranged just before and / or after the suction unit to remove the finest dust particles.
[0006] One general problem with cyclone-based vacuum cleaners of this type is that it may be difficult to clean out matter from the filter arranged together with the hollow body when the receptacle is emptied. For instance, due to the cyclonic function, long hairs which have comparatively low density and are trapped by the filter, may be tightly wound around the filter in such a way that their removal is cumbersome and timeconsuming.
[0007] Summary of the invention
[0008] One object of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a vacuum cleaner with a cyclone separator that is easier to empty / clean.
[0009] This object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner as defined in claim 1. More particularly, in a vacuum cleaner of the initially mentioned kind, the hollow body comprises anopening at its distal end, where the air flow path is allowed to enter, and the filter is located in the interior of the hollow body.
[0010] With this configuration of the hollow body and the filter, long hairs will not become wrapped around the hollow body, but will rather form an easily removeable, elongated entangled ball of hair, that can easily be removed trough the opening at the end of the hollow body. This significantly simplifies the emptying and cleaning of the cyclone separator.
[0011] The hollow body may have a conical shape with a circular cross section across the axial direction, which is tapering towards the distal end of the hollow body. Alternatively, the hollow body may have a cylindrical shape.
[0012] Typically, the hollow body may have an air impermeable outer surface, which may be smooth.
[0013] The filter may be in the shape of a cylindrical tube, which may extend into the interior of the hollow body from the opening. Typically, the filter may be arranged parallel with the axial direction, and the opening may be circular. A part of the air flow path may extend between the filter and an inside surface of the hollow body.
[0014] The filter may be arranged after the opening in the flow path.
[0015] The vacuum cleaner may further comprise a skirt forming a plurality of wings, that extend from the center axis in front of the opening. A portion of the hollow body at the distal end thereof may be removable to facilitate cleaning.
[0016] Typically, the vacuum cleaner is a handheld vacuum cleaner.
[0017] Brief description of the drawings
[0018] Fig 1 illustrates a vacuum cleaner of the stick type.
[0019] Fig 2 illustrates a prior art cyclone separation device for such a vacuum cleaner. Fig 3 illustrates a cyclone separation device according to the present disclosure. Fig 4A and 4B illustrate a cyclone separation device with an attached skirt.
[0020] Detailed description
[0021] The present disclosure relates generally to vacuum cleaners. Fig 1 illustrates one example, a vacuum cleaner 1 of the stick type, which is held using a handle 8 connected to one end a housing 3 comprising a cyclone separator as will be discussed,while its nozzle 6, located at the other end of the housing 3, moves over a floor surface, for instance. This disclosure would however also be applicable, for instance, to handheld vacuum cleaners or vacuum cleaners intended to include a floor unit rolling on the floor. Such vacuum cleaners too may be provided with cyclone separators. Fig 2 illustrates a prior art cyclone separation device 13 for a vacuum cleaner 1. Inside the housing 3, a cyclonic dust separating device 13 is formed, separating dust from an air flow path 9. This air flow path 9 is formed from an air inlet 5 through which the outside air can be sucked by the vacuum cleaner, typically through a nozzle 6, to at least one air outlet 7 through which air can exit from the vacuum cleaner housing 3. A suction unit 11 , comprising a motor / fan combination, arranged in the air flow path 9, generates the flow of air in the air flow path 9. The suction unit 11 may be powered by a battery in the vacuum cleaner or a cable to mains.
[0022] A cyclonic dust separating device 13 is arranged before the suction unit 11 in the air flow path 9. The cyclonic dust separating device 13 comprises a conical, hollow body 15 that projects in an axial direction 17 from a proximal end to a distal end, into an enveloping enclosure 19 in the housing 3. This forms a space in between the hollow body 15 and the enveloping enclosure 19 where the airflow can circulate. The air flow enters this space in such a way that the air flow path 9 spins in a helix-shaped pattern around the hollow body 15 and towards the bottom or distal end 16 of the hollow body 15. Typically, this may be achieved with a nozzle leading the airflow in a particular direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise, around the hollow body as seen along the axial direction 17. This motion of the airflow path 9 serves to separate high-density matter 20 such as larger dust particles, grains of sand, etc., from the air flow, and this matter falls down to the bottom 22 of the enclosure 19 that also may form a dust receptacle 19, 22. This receptacle will in most use cases receive most of the dust matter in the air flow.
[0023] Although the hollow body 15 is shown as a truncated cone in fig 1, it could also be cylindrical.
[0024] in order to deal with low-density, large dust matter a filter 21 is arranged on an open part together with the hollow body 15. This allows the air flow path 9 to enter the interior of the hollow body 15. When the dust receptacle 19, 22 is emptied, the matter stuck on this filter is removed as well. Also, the matter stuck on the filter 21 may to alarge extent fall down into the dust receptacle 19, 22 when the vacuum cleaner is turned off, which removes matter from the filter 21 as well. Some matter will need be removed manually, for instance with a brush.
[0025] It has been found with the filter 21 as arranged in fig 2 that removal of matter from the filter 21 may be difficult in some use cases. This especially is the case if the dustladen airflow includes a lot of long hairs. If so, those long hairs may be wound around the hollow body, sometimes several turns around the hollow body 15. This prevents the matter from falling down and also makes it difficult to clean the filter manually.
[0026] This problem can be solved by modifying the cyclonic dust separating device 13, as illustrated in fig 3 according to an example of the present disclosure. Here, the hollow body 15 comprises an opening 23 at its distal end 24, where the air flow path is allowed to enter into the hollow body 15. Additionally, the filter 21 is located in the interior of the hollow body 15. This may, as illustrated in the cross section of fig 3 be accomplished with a tube-shaped filter 21 , extending inwards into the hollow body 15 from the opening 23 latter’s distal end 24.
[0027] The hollow body 15 may thus have an air impermeable outer surface which may be smooth.
[0028] The air stream entering the hollow body 15 and the filter 21 , will likely pass upwards in a circulating helix-shaped pattern or in another way, and is gradually allowed to pass through the filter 21 into the remainder of the hollow body 15 and continues towards the suction device 11 and the outlet 7.
[0029] This filter 21 as well will remove large, low-density particles. However, if long hairs are trapped in the filter tube, those hairs will form an elongated, entangled ball of hairs. This ball can easily be manually removed or may even spontaneously fall down into the receptacle 19, 22 once the vacuum cleaner is turned off.
[0030] Fig 4A illustrates the hollow body 15 of fig 3 with an attached skirt 25. This skirt 25 includes a conical cap portion 26 including a number of wings 27, that extend from the aforementioned center axis 17 (cf. fig 3) into the circulating air stream of the air flow path 9 that is about to enter the through the opening 23 to the interior of the hollow body 15. The conical cap portion 26 prevents matter in the receptacle 22 from being sucked into the opening 23. A cross-section A-A through the skirt 25 isillustrated in fig 4B, also indicating the air movement that is attenuated by the wings 27 of the skirt 25. The skirt 25 is optional and removable from the hollow body 15. A portion of the hollow body 15 at the distal end 24 thereof may be removable to facilitate cleaning. This may typically include the skirt 25.
[0031] The present disclosure is not restricted to the above examples and may be varied and altered within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
CLAIMS1. A vacuum cleaner (1 ) comprising, a vacuum cleaner housing (3), an air inlet (5) through which the outside air can be sucked by the vacuum cleaner , at least one air outlet (7) through which air can exit from the vacuum cleaner housing, the vacuum cleaner being configured to form an air flow path (9) that extends between the air inlet (5) and the air outlet (7), a suction unit (11 ), arranged in the air flow path (9) to generate a flow of air in the air flow path from the air inlet (5) to the air outlet (7), a cyclonic dust separating device (13) arranged before the suction unit (11) in the airflow path and comprising a conical or cylindrical hollow body (15) projecting in an axial direction (17) into an enveloping enclosure (19) such that the airflow path can circulate around the hollow body (15) in the enveloping enclosure (19), and a filter (21) arranged together with the hollow body, characterized by the hollow body (15) comprising an opening (23) at its distal end (24), where the air flow path is allowed to enter, and that the filter (21 ) is located in the interior of the hollow body (15).
2. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body (15) has a conical shape with a circular cross section across the axial direction (17), tapering towards the distal end of the hollow body.
3. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body (15) has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section across the axial direction (17).
4. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow body (15) has an air impermeable outer surface.
5. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hollow body (15) has a smooth other surface.
6. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the filter (21 ) is in the shape of a cylindrical tube extending into the interior of the hollow body (15) from the opening (23).
7. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 6, wherein the filter (21) is arranged parallel with the axial direction.
68. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a part of the air flow path (9) extends between the filter (21 ) and an inside surface of the hollow body (15).
9. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (23) is circular.
10. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the filter (21 ) is arranged after the opening (23) in the flow path.
11. Vacuum cleaner (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a skirt (25) including a plurality of wings (27), that extend from the center axis (17) in front of the opening (23).
12. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the hollow body (15) at the distal end (24) thereof is removable.
13. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum cleaner is a handheld vacuum cleaner.7