Vacuum Cleaner Air Guide Grid Layout for Safety and Filter Space

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum cleaners lack an effective anti-trap device to prevent users from reaching into the fan area between the dust and blower compartments, while also requiring additional space for filter materials, and existing designs compromise on airflow efficiency and safety compliance.

Innovation Solution

A protective grid is positioned to start in the last eighth of the tapering air guide funnel's cross-section, allowing for a significant additional space for filter materials while ensuring user safety and minimizing airflow obstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protective grid is arranged in the flow channel to prevent user intervention with fan blades, then safety is improved, but the available space for filter materials is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidspace for filter materials
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective grid is segmented into a first section and a second section along the flow direction. The first section has a larger cross-sectional area and is positioned upstream, while the second section has a smaller cross-sectional area and is positioned downstream. This segmentation allows the grid to provide safety protection while minimizing the obstruction to airflow and maximizing the available space for filter materials in the upper region of the flow channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the protective grid starts earlier in the air guide funnel, then safety protection is improved, but the available space for filter materials is significantly reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety protectionVSAvoidadditional space for filter materials
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective grid is designed with varying cross-sectional areas at different positions along the flow direction. The first section has a larger cross-sectional area to provide adequate safety protection where the risk of user intervention is highest, while the second section has a smaller cross-sectional area to minimize airflow obstruction and maximize space for filter materials in the downstream region.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the protective grid has a larger cross-sectional area, then safety protection is improved, but airflow obstruction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety protectionVSAvoidairflow loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The protective grid is divided into multiple sections with different cross-sectional areas. The first section upstream has a larger cross-sectional area to ensure safety protection, while the second section downstream has a smaller cross-sectional area to reduce airflow obstruction. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both safety and airflow efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protective grid provides safety protection to the extent necessary (first section with larger area), and then reduces its presence (second section with smaller area) to minimize interference with airflow. This partial action approach ensures adequate safety while avoiding excessive obstruction that would cause energy loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2519134B1Vacuum cleaner comprising hand protection grid
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2519134B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2519134B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2519134B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner (10) comprising at least one dust chamber (11) and a fan chamber (12) which is connected to the dust chamber (11) by means of the flow channel (20); said flow channel (20) is embodied at least sectionally as an air guiding rectifier (30), the cross section of which tapers in the flow direction (16) from the inlet opening (31), aligned towards the dust chamber (11), to the outlet opening (32), aligned towards the fan chamber (12); a hand protection grid (40) is arranged in the flow channel (20) and starts, in the direction of flow (16), at the earliest in the last eighth of the tapering cross-section of the air guiding rectifier (30). This enables a structurally simple and economical vacuum cleaner (10) to be created having a hand protection grid (40) between the dust chamber (11) and fan chamber (12), said grid corresponding to the legal regulations and prevents the user from placing the hand into a dangerous area. Said protection grid also comprises an additional chamber between the dust chamber (11) and the fan chamber (12), for example, for receiving filter materials.