Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cylindrical Filter Design for Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handheld vacuum cleaners generate significant noise during operation, making their use unpleasant.

Innovation Solution

A portable vacuum cleaner design featuring a suction duct, waste separation device, and housing with a removable filter-equipped air exhaust circuit that includes a cylindrical air diffusion nozzle and filter, configured to diffuse airflow and reduce noise through a sound insulation wall.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the motor housing is sealed to prevent leakage of fine particles, then the sealing performance is improved, but the internal pressure increases and may damage the motor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidinternal pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The air outlet is divided into multiple small holes instead of a single large opening. This segmentation allows the exhaust air to be distributed across multiple exit points, reducing the pressure buildup inside the sealed motor housing while still maintaining effective sealing. The fine particles are contained by the seal, and the pressure is managed through the distributed hole structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The motor housing acts as an intermediary chamber that temporarily holds the exhaust air and particles generated by the motor. The sealed structure with multiple small holes allows this intermediary chamber to maintain pressure control while preventing particle leakage, mediating between the motor's exhaust needs and the sealing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a large number of small holes are formed in the air outlet, then the clogging by fine particles is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclogging resistanceVSAvoidhole formation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The air outlet is segmented into multiple small holes of uniform size and distribution. This segmentation pattern is designed to prevent particle accumulation and clogging while the regular spacing and uniform dimensions reduce the complexity of manufacturing precision requirements compared to irregular hole patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Volume of moving object

If the number of parts is reduced for miniaturization, then the device size is reduced, but the filter maintenance becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice sizeVSAvoidfilter maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The filter is extracted as a separate, removable component from the integrated motor housing structure. This allows the filter to be easily accessed and maintained by the user without disassembling the entire vacuum cleaner, solving the maintenance difficulty issue while keeping the overall device compact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The filter serves multiple functions: it filters particles from the exhaust air, maintains proper airflow through the motor housing, and can be easily removed for cleaning or replacement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, supporting device miniaturization while ensuring maintainability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The specific configuration significantly reduces noise generated by the vacuum cleaner, enhancing user experience by making it more pleasant to use.

Implementation Method 1

a suction motor (6) configured to generate an airflow through the suction duct (18) and the waste separation device (5)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure difference: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

The air exhaust circuit (19) has an air diffusion nozzle (21)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir diffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP4241640B1Portable vacuum cleaner provided with a removable filter
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 SEB SA
  • EP4241640B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4241640B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4241640B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The handheld vacuum cleaner (2) includes a suction duct (18), a waste separation device (5), and a housing (3) containing a suction motor (6) configured to generate an airflow through the suction duct (18) and the waste separation device (5). The housing (3) includes an air exhaust circuit (19) through which the airflow generated by the suction motor (6) is discharged to the outside of the housing (3). The air exhaust circuit (19) is equipped with a removable filter (26). The air exhaust circuit (19) has an air diffusion nozzle (21), and the filter (26) is cylindrical in shape and laterally surrounds the air diffusion nozzle (21).