Vacuum Cleaner Motor Fairing With Perforated Air Outlets for Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum cleaners generate significant noise due to the concentration of air flow at motor outlets, leading to high speeds and noise pollution, which existing solutions like extending air paths with baffles fail to adequately address without increasing bulkiness.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum cleaner design featuring a fairing with multiple air exhaust openings, strategically positioned to distribute air flow evenly and reduce noise, combined with an absorbent material to enhance sound absorption, and made from lightweight, recyclable expanded polypropylene for structural integrity and noise reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If a single air outlet opening is used in the fairing, then the structure is simple, but air flow concentrates in privileged zones leading to locally high speeds and passing noise

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidfairing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The single air outlet opening is segmented into multiple smaller openings distributed across the fairing surface. This segmentation prevents air flow concentration in privileged zones, reduces locally high speeds, and thereby eliminates passing noise while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the total opening area is made small, then the fairing provides good noise screening, but pressure drops increase and hissing noise is generated

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidpressure drop
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The parameters of the openings are optimized by adjusting both the number and size of openings to achieve a total area of at least 10 cm². This parameter change ensures adequate pressure flow while distributing air evenly across multiple openings to prevent hissing noise, balancing noise screening with energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Weight of moving object

If expanded polypropylene is used for the fairing, then the device weight is reduced and material usage is minimized, but the structural integrity must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefairing weightVSAvoidfairing strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Expanded polypropylene is used as a composite material that provides both lightweight properties and adequate structural strength. The material's cellular structure offers strength-to-weight ratio benefits while maintaining the structural integrity required for the fairing application, reducing both device weight and material usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 design effectively reduces noise by standardizing air speeds across the perforated surface, minimizing turbulence and pressure drops, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing the device's weight and material usage.

Implementation Method 1

place an absorbent material opposite the openings of the fairing, outside of said fairing. This material, depending on its nature and its dimensions, will absorb part of the acoustic energy coming from these openings at certain frequencies and at a certain level of efficiency.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Data Source

PatentEP2032010B1Vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2015.07.08 SEB SA
  • EP2032010B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2032010B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2032010B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention concerns a vacuum cleaner comprising a housing, wherein is situated an electric motor associated with a ventilator that, while the vacuum cleaner operates, allows the creation of air suction from a manifold, upstream from the motor and ending in a sucker, up to output of air from the housing situated downstream from the motor, with a filtration device situated on the aeraulic pathway, preferably upstream from the motor, and the motor situated in a specific streamlined body (130), characterized in that this streamlined body (130) has a plurality of air outlets drilled therein, thus making up a total surface of at least 10 cm2, with each opening in the streamlined body (130) making up a surface comprising between 0.75 mm2 40 mm2 of the entire surface.