CN107635446B - Device for mounting an electric motor assembly of an electrical appliance - Google Patents
Device for mounting an electric motor assembly of an electrical appliance Download PDFInfo
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- CN107635446B CN107635446B CN201680033820.8A CN201680033820A CN107635446B CN 107635446 B CN107635446 B CN 107635446B CN 201680033820 A CN201680033820 A CN 201680033820A CN 107635446 B CN107635446 B CN 107635446B
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- mounting body
- housing
- contact
- motor assembly
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- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 11
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 24
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 14
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 9
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 9
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008094 contradictory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005520 electrodynamics Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005457 optimization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000725 suspension Substances 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/22—Mountings for motor fan assemblies
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/0081—Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Motor Or Generator Frames (AREA)
- Vibration Prevention Devices (AREA)
- Electric Vacuum Cleaner (AREA)
Abstract
A device (10) for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, in a housing (2) of the appliance comprises a resilient mounting body (11) for arrangement between the motor assembly and the housing (2). The inner peripheral portion (12) of the mounting body (11) includes a first motor contact portion (13), a second motor contact portion (14) provided with an axial motor support member (19), and a connecting portion (15) connecting the motor contact portions (13, 14) to each other. The radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion (13) is less than the radial stiffness of the connection portion (15) so that the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly are coupled into the mounting body (11) at the location of contact to the first motor contact portion (13) is minimal.
Description
Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance in a housing of the appliance, comprising an elastic mounting body for arrangement between the motor assembly and the housing, wherein the mounting body is designed to be in contact with the motor assembly and the housing.
The invention also relates to an electrical appliance comprising a motor assembly, a housing and a device as described above, wherein the mounting body of the device is arranged between the motor assembly and the housing. In the practice of the invention, the electrical appliance is a vacuum cleaner for removing dust and dirt from a surface.
Background
Devices for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance in a housing of the electrical appliance are known. In the following, the invention will be explained in the context of a vacuum cleaner, wherein it is noted that the application of the invention in the context of a vacuum cleaner is only one of the possibilities that exist within the framework of the invention.
In commonly known vacuum cleaners, a motor with an impeller is used to move air in order to create the necessary negative pressure to convey dust and dirt from the surface to be cleaned to a vacuum cleaner chamber designed to collect and contain the dust and dirt. The motor assembly, which includes a motor, an impeller and a cover, is typically disposed in a housing of the vacuum cleaner, wherein the motor assembly is mounted in the housing by means of a damping rubber (suspension rubber) which serves to hold the motor assembly in place. The cushion rubber may have the additional function of creating an air seal at a suitable location between the motor assembly and the housing so that the suction force of the motor assembly can be used in an optimal manner. In any case, the damping rubber also serves to reduce the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly are transmitted to the housing, based on the elasticity of the rubber material, which is particularly advantageous in view of the need to make the vacuum cleaner generate as little noise as possible during operation.
According to the prior art, the cushion rubber is designed with a simple geometry. For example, the cushion rubber may have only a ring-like shape, particularly a stepped ring-like shape. In addition to the shock absorbing rubber, a foam block may be used at a location between the motor assembly and the housing. Typically, the means for mounting the motor assembly in the housing comprises a mounting body having resilient properties, wherein the mounting body may comprise rubber or other suitable material. In the case of a combination of the mounting function and the sealing function of the mounting body, the rigidity of the mounting body is selected in the simple geometry of the mounting body of the known device in order to compromise between the requirements of a robust mounting and effective sealing on the one hand and the requirement of only minimal vibration transmission during operation of the motor assembly on the other hand. In fact, the first requirement and the latter requirement are mutually contradictory, the first requirement relating to the need for high stiffness and the second requirement relating to the need for low stiffness.
Disclosure of Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance. The invention is defined by an apparatus for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance in a housing of the appliance and an electrical appliance as described herein. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide improved measures for a device for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, in a housing of the appliance, so that on the one hand a good mounting function of the device and possibly also a good sealing function of the device can be maintained and on the other hand the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly are transmitted by the device to the housing can be reduced.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance in a housing of the appliance, the device comprising a resilient mounting body for arrangement between the motor assembly and the housing, wherein an outer portion of the resilient mounting body comprises a housing contact portion for contacting the housing, and wherein an inner peripheral portion of the resilient mounting body comprises a first motor contact portion and a second motor contact portion for contacting the motor assembly at different contact locations, the first motor contact portion contacting the motor assembly in at least one radial direction, and the second motor contact portion contacting the motor assembly in at least one axial direction and being provided with an axial motor support member for abutting the motor assembly in the axial direction, the inner peripheral portion further comprising a connecting portion interconnecting the first motor contact portion and the second motor contact portion, wherein the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion is less than the radial stiffness of the connection portion.
From the foregoing definitions, it follows that the mounting device according to the invention is used in an electrical appliance comprising a motor assembly and a housing, and that the device comprises an elastic mounting body having specific features aimed at reducing the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly can be transmitted by the device to the housing. However, the elastic mounting body can also preferably be in contact with the motor assembly and the housing, respectively, in a sealing manner. In fact, according to the invention, the inner peripheral portion of the mounting body (i.e. the peripheral portion of the mounting body having the smallest diameter when compared with the other peripheral portions of the mounting body) comprises three portions, namely the first motor contact portion, the second motor contact portion and the connecting portion as described above, wherein the connecting portion connects the two motor contact portions to each other. The overall shape of the mounting body may be an annular shape, consistent with the practical example of a mounting body of a conventional mounting device, in which case the inner peripheral portion of the mounting body is the annular inner portion of the mounting body. Preferably, the mounting body is a single unitary piece of material.
Assuming that the mounting device according to the invention is applied as intended in an electrical appliance, an improvement with respect to the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly are coupled into the mounting body is achieved at the location where the mounting body contacts the motor assembly through the first motor contact. The radial stiffness of the mounting body at this contact position (which will be referred to as first contact position hereinafter) is selected so as to be lower than the radial stiffness of the connection portion. As an advantageous result, compared to the case where the radial stiffness is not reduced at the contact location. The degree of vibration of the motor assembly acting in the (near) radial direction, picked up by the mounting body at the first contact position, will be much smaller. On the other hand, due to factors including the radial stiffness level of the connection portion and other parts of the mounting body, the mounting body is still good enough to have a correct mounting of the motor assembly and a correct sealing function of the mounting body on the motor assembly at the first contact position.
Preferably, in order to obtain a significant reduction effect on the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly to the housing and thus on the noise level of the electrical appliance, the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion is selected to be at most a quarter of the radial stiffness of the connection portion. More preferably, the first stiffness is selected to be at most one tenth of the latter radial stiffness. In any case, by having sufficient stiffness differences, the need for high stiffness for mounting the electrodynamic components and possibly also for achieving various sealing effects can be decoupled from the need for low stiffness for reducing the transmission of vibrations, as in which the various parts of the mounting body can be optimized independently.
As will now be explained, in the case of applying the present invention to a vacuum cleaner, when the level of vibration transmission is reduced by the mounting body of the mounting apparatus, an additional advantageous effect is obtained. In the particular case mentioned, the motor assembly is actually pulled in the direction of the mounting body under the influence of the intake air at the side of the mounting body during operation of the appliance. In particular, the housing is provided with a hole for allowing air intake, the diameter of the hole being selected to be smaller than the outer diameter of the mounting body and larger than the inner diameter of the mounting body. This means that when the motor assembly exerts a pressure on the mounting body, the outer portion of the mounting body is compressed between the motor assembly and the housing portion defining the aperture, while the inner portion of the mounting body is not supported by the housing in any way. Thus, in the conventional case of a mounting body having a more or less constant average stiffness in the radial direction, the mounting body needs to have a certain degree of stiffness so that the mounting body is not excessively deformed under the influence of pressure, so that one or more parts of the mounting body will collapse and/or the sealing function will be lost. As previously mentioned, this requirement is incompatible with the desire to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly to the housing through the mounting body. When the present invention is applied, it is preferable that the inner portion of the mounting body not covered by the housing includes the connecting portion and the first motor contact portion. With the connecting portion having a relatively high rigidity and the first motor contact portion having a relatively low rigidity, since the connecting portion and other portions of the mounting body may have sufficient rigidity for being able to withstand the negative pressure and pressure generated due to the displacement of the motor assembly, the negative pressure is allowed to act on the central portion of the motor assembly, which is defined by the contact with the first motor contact portion. In contrast, in the conventional case, the entire mounting body is deformed, wherein the underpressure is allowed to act on a larger central part of the motor assembly, i.e. the entire part of the motor assembly not covered by the housing. Thus, in the case of the invention, the effect of the negative pressure is limited so that the movement of the motor assembly under the influence of the negative pressure is limited, and the need for the other parts of the mounting body, except for the first motor contact, to have a high stiffness in order to counteract the pressure exerted by the motor assembly on the mounting body is limited compared to the conventional case, which allows more degrees of freedom in the construction of the mounting body, with more possibilities of locally reducing the stiffness without damaging the mounting function and the sealing function of the mounting body.
In a practical embodiment of the mounting device according to the invention, the first motor contact is located more at the inner edge of the mounting body, wherein the second motor contact has a larger diameter than the first motor contact. Further, the second motor contact may be a combined motor/housing contact for contacting the housing in a first axial direction and contacting the motor assembly in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.
In the case where the second motor contact is a combined motor/housing contact as described above, the mounting body is preferably configured such that the radial position of the axial motor support member on the mounting body corresponds to the position of the radial centre line of the area of the combined motor/housing contact on the mounting body for contacting the housing in the first axial direction. The area of the combined motor/housing contact as described above may comprise, for example, at least one rib. For example, where the region comprises two ribs extending alongside one another, the radial centre line as described above is the centre line of the combination of the two ribs and so extends between the ribs (assuming the ribs are similar).
As will now be explained, matching the radial position of the axial motor support member as described above with the radial position of the area of the combined motor/housing contact for contacting the housing involves additional advantageous effects when the invention is applied to a vacuum cleaner. In the conventional case, the axial support of the motor assembly by the mounting body takes place in a region corresponding to the position of the hole in the casing which allows air intake. Thus, the axial force of the motor assembly acts on the mount body in this region, whereas the axial reaction force of the housing acts on the mount body in another region, i.e., the region where the mount body contacts the portion of the housing defining the hole. Thus, the mounting body is made to tilt, which increases the deformation of the mounting body, which needs to be compensated for by selecting a certain level of stiffness. In a preferred embodiment of the mounting body, the axial motor support member has a similar radial position as the centre line of the area for contact with the portion of the housing defining the bore, so that the axial forces of the motor assembly and the reaction forces of the housing act on a similar radial position and the tendency of the mounting body to tilt is avoided. This is another factor that provides the possibility of reducing the stiffness compared to the conventional case.
Nevertheless, the mutual positioning of the axial motor support member as described above and the centre line of the area for contact with the portion of the housing defining the aperture is not necessary within the framework of the invention. A particular mutual positioning is advantageous in view of having the possibility of reducing the stiffness, but another positioning may also be chosen, for example to compensate for pressure differences.
In a practical embodiment of the mounting device according to the invention, the second motor contact comprises areas of different radial stiffness in a pattern along its circumference, wherein areas of relatively higher radial stiffness alternate with areas of relatively lower radial stiffness, wherein the axial motor support member is arranged in the areas of relatively lower radial stiffness of the second motor contact. In this case, the improvement of the degree to which vibrations with respect to the motor assembly are coupled into the mounting body is achieved at two locations where the mounting body contacts the motor assembly, namely the first contact location on the first motor contact and the second contact location on the second motor contact as described before, in particular the location where the axial stiffness of the mounting of the motor assembly is achieved by contact with the axial motor support member, provided that the mounting device according to the invention is applied as intended in an electrical appliance. Due to the fact that the axial motor support member is arranged in the region of relatively low radial stiffness of the second motor contact, the transmission of vibrations from the second contact location to the motor assembly of the housing is reduced with respect to a situation in which there is no region of relatively low radial stiffness such that the protruding portion extends only from the region having average radial stiffness. In view of the fact that the axial motor support member extends from a region having a relatively low radial stiffness, a situation is obtained where the axial stiffness and the radial stiffness are decoupled at the second contact location, which allows optimization of both types of stiffness in the mounting device according to the invention. Even if the axial motor support member extends from a region of relatively low radial stiffness, the fact that the relatively low radial stiffness alternates with the relatively high radial stiffness avoids that the member is radially movable to an undesirably large extent.
As is known in the art, the mounting body of the mounting device according to the invention is made of a rubber-like material or the like, in order to have, on the one hand, sufficient elasticity for reducing the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly through the mounting body to the housing, and, on the other hand, sufficient rigidity for holding the motor assembly in place. For completeness' sake, it should be noted that stiffness should be understood as referring to the extent to which a piece of material having a certain size and shape is able to provide structural strength on the one hand and is able to deform/move under the influence of forces on the other hand. High stiffness is associated with high structural strength and low deformation/movement, while low stiffness is associated with low structural strength and high deformation/movement. Stiffness can be controlled by varying the thickness of the wall, adding a certain amount of shaped or sized ribs, removing material at appropriate locations, etc. Typically, the stiffness of the component relates to the deformation resistance of the component and may be achieved by measuring the force required to achieve a particular displacement of a region of the component and/or may be determined in a theoretical manner by using a suitable technique such as a finite element method.
The terms "axial", "radial" and "circumferential" as used herein implicitly relate to the rotational axis of the motor and impeller and can be best understood in a known manner in the case of the annular shape of the known mounting body, according to which "axial" denotes a direction along the centre line of the annular shape, wherein "radial" denotes any direction along a radius away from the centre line, and wherein "circumferential" denotes any direction around the centre line, which is also commonly referred to as tangential direction. It should be noted that the use of the terms as described above does not imply that the mounting body of the mounting device according to the invention must be ring-shaped and/or rotationally symmetrical, although this is possible within the framework of the invention.
In order to achieve a region of the mounting body in which the stiffness of the second motor contact portion is relatively high, it is feasible that the second motor contact portion is provided with a rib extending in a substantially radial direction over the mounting body. In the mounting body, the shape and size of the ribs may be selected so as to achieve a desired degree of rigidity. For example, the stiffness may be controlled by selecting the number of ribs, selecting the size of the ribs, and/or selecting the shape of the ribs. With regard to the latter option, it should be noted that the ribs may be made to extend in a straight line or in a curved line. In any case, the ribs can be optimized in order to achieve a suitable radial stiffness in the given case, i.e. to be suitable for a specific type of motor assembly and for a specific type of electrical appliance comprising a housing in which the motor assembly is to be mounted by means of the mounting device according to the invention.
It is feasible that the ribs and the axial motor support member are present on the same side of the mounting body, provided that the second motor contact portion is provided with the ribs as described above, wherein the axial motor support member may be arranged at a position between the ribs without contacting the ribs, as seen from the periphery of the second motor contact portion of the mounting body. This is one example of a way to decouple the axial stiffness and the radial stiffness in the mounting body. In the mounting body, this decoupling is achieved by achieving sufficient space between the rib and the axial motor support component, which can be controlled by selecting a suitable path length between the rib and the component. For example, in order to increase the path length, a groove may be provided at the end of the material where the component is connected to the mounting body.
Preferably, the axial stiffness of the first motor contact portion is lower than the axial stiffness of the connecting portion and the axial motor support member. In this case, the degree to which the vibration of the motor assembly is transmitted to the mounting body at the first contact position is further reduced. The mounting body may be configured to have sufficient axial stiffness at the second contact location for mounting the motor assembly in a suitable manner. With regard to the axial stiffness, it should also be noted that the region of relatively higher radial stiffness of the second motor contact may also be a region of relatively higher axial stiffness of the second motor contact if the second motor contact comprises regions of different radial stiffness. In this way, the second motor contact not only helps to keep the first motor contact in place in the radial direction, but also helps to keep the first motor contact in place in the axial direction.
In a practical embodiment of the mounting device according to the invention, the first motor contact part of the mounting body is shaped as a lip seal comprising a lip for abutting against the motor assembly. Lip seals are known per se and are well suited for use as sealing contact between two elements, i.e. in this case between the mounting body and the motor assembly at the location of the first motor contact, while their stiffness is relatively low. In this respect, it is feasible that the outer edge of the lip is thickened with respect to the rest of the lip. This may be relevant, in particular in the case of a vacuum cleaner, in order to avoid a situation in which the lip is displaced under the influence of the negative pressure acting on the lip and is therefore no longer able to perform its sealing function.
The connecting portion of the mounting body may be configured to have a gradually increasing wall thickness in a direction from the first motor contact portion of the mounting body to the second motor contact portion of the mounting body. In this way, a gradually increasing stiffness is achieved in the direction from the first motor contact portion to the second motor contact portion of the mounting body, which helps to reduce the transmission of vibrations of the motor assembly coupled into the mounting body at the first contact location to other parts of the mounting body and the housing, compared to the case where the connection portion has an overall wall thickness adapted to achieve a constant stiffness along the connection portion, which is as high as the stiffness required at the interface of the connection portion and the second motor contact portion.
According to a practical alternative existing within the framework of the invention, the axial motor support member comprises a cylindrical projection extending in the axial direction from the second motor contact portion of the mounting body. Although this is a viable option, it is not required that all components be of the same size and shape. In any case, when the component is shaped as the pillar portion as described above, the pillar portion may be configured to reduce the degree to which the vibration of the motor assembly is coupled into the mount body at the contact position between the pillar portion and the motor assembly to an optimum degree. For example, the cylindrical protrusion may be configured to have a tapered shape, wherein the actual contact area of the protrusion with the motor assembly is small compared to the area of the material of which the protrusion is connected to the mounting body, which involves that the extent to which vibrations of the motor assembly are coupled into the mounting body is reduced due to the contact between the motor assembly and the mounting body at the location of the protrusion.
When the device is applied in an electrical appliance including such a motor assembly and such a housing, measures may be taken to (locally) reduce the rigidity of the outer peripheral portion of the mounting body by the mounting body of the mounting device of the present invention in order to further reduce the degree to which the vibration of the motor assembly is transmitted to the housing. For example, the outer circumferential portion may be provided with a groove in order to reduce the radial stiffness in the radial direction at the outer circumference of the mounting body at a location close to the contact of the mounting body.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a motor assembly of an electrical appliance in a housing of the appliance. The invention also relates to an electrical appliance comprising a motor assembly as described above, a housing and a device, wherein a mounting body of the device is arranged between the motor assembly and the housing, and wherein both the first motor contact and the second motor contact of the mounting body of the device contact the motor assembly. In line with what has been explained above, an example of such an electrical appliance is a vacuum cleaner for removing dust and dirt from a surface, in which case the housing of the electrical appliance may comprise a chamber for accommodating the motor assembly and a chamber for collecting and accommodating the dust and dirt, the two chambers being located adjacent to each other, wherein the device may be arranged at the interface of the two chambers, the mounting body of the device extending from the interior of the chamber for accommodating the motor assembly towards the chamber for collecting and accommodating the dust and dirt, and the mounting body of the device being in contact with a wall defining the chamber for collecting and accommodating the dust and dirt, at least during operation of the electrical appliance.
The above aspects and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of an arrangement for mounting a motor assembly in a vacuum cleaner housing and achieving an air-tight seal between the motor assembly and the housing. The mounting device which is the subject of the detailed description is one example of the many possibilities which exist within the framework of the invention. Furthermore, the field of vacuum cleaners is one example of the many fields in which the invention can be applied.
Drawings
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which identical or similar parts are denoted by identical reference numerals, and in which:
figure 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a device according to the invention applied in a housing of a vacuum cleaner for mounting a motor assembly;
figure 2 schematically shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the mounting device and the housing;
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a rear view of the mounting device;
FIG. 4 schematically shows detail A of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a perspective rear view of the mounting device;
FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the mounting device;
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a mounting device; and is
Fig. 8 shows how a portion of the mounting arrangement including the lip seal contacts the motor assembly in a sealing manner.
Detailed Description
The drawings show a device 10 according to the invention suitable for mounting a motor assembly 1 in a housing 2 of a vacuum cleaner. Fig. 1 is intended to illustrate how the mounting device 10 is positioned relative to the motor assembly 1 and the housing 2. The mounting device 10 comprises an annular mounting body 11 made of rubber or other elastic material for arrangement between the motor assembly 1 and the housing 2. The mounting body 11 is configured to contact the motor assembly 1 at one side thereof and to contact the housing 2 at the other side thereof. The mounting device 10 is intended to be positioned in the housing 2 at one side of the motor assembly 1 (this side is generally indicated as the front side of the motor assembly 1), and the references to "front" and "rear" used herein should be understood in relation to this assumption, without implying any limitation to the scope of the invention. Thus, the side of the mounting body 11 for contacting the motor assembly 1 may be generally denoted as the rear side of the mounting body 11, while the side of the mounting body 11 for contacting the housing 2 may be generally denoted as the front side of the mounting body 11. Note that in fig. 1, the position of another mounting means for mounting the motor assembly 1 at the rear side is denoted by reference numeral 3. By using this further mounting device and the mounting device 10 according to the invention in the housing 2, a correct mounting of the motor assembly 1 in the housing 2 can be achieved.
The motor assembly 1 comprises, among other components, an electric motor (not shown), an impeller 4 driven by the electric motor during operation of the motor, and a cover 5 (which may be made of metal, for example) for the various components of the motor assembly 1. During operation of the motor, air is drawn in at the front side of the motor assembly 1 under the influence of the rotation of the impeller 4. The way in which the motor assembly 1 of a vacuum cleaner operates is well known and in view of the fact that the present invention does not relate to the operation of the motor assembly 1, an explanation of the details of the motor assembly 1 is omitted herein.
In the example shown in fig. 1, the housing 2 of the vacuum cleaner comprises two chambers 6, 7, namely one chamber 6 for accommodating the motor assembly 1 and another chamber 7 for collecting and accommodating dust and dirt removed from a surface by means of the vacuum cleaner. In fig. 1, only the walls of the latter chamber 7 are shown. The walls defining the first chamber 6 as well as the walls defining the latter chamber 7 can be made of plastic, which does not alter the fact that other materials are also possible. The general design of vacuum cleaners is well known and, in view of the fact that the invention does not relate to this design, an explanation of the details of the housing 2 and other parts of the vacuum cleaner is omitted herein.
In general, it should be noted that the configuration of the mounting body 11 of the mounting device 10 according to the invention aims to obtain a relatively low noise level of the vacuum cleaner during operation, in particular by reducing the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly 1 to the housing 2 with respect to the conventional case, without impairing the other functions of the mounting body 11, in particular the function of holding the motor assembly 1 in place inside the housing 2 and the sealing function as will be explained below. The portion of the mounting body 11 that contacts the motor assembly 1 has a relatively low stiffness, or is directly connected to a region of relatively low stiffness, so that the degree to which vibrations from the motor assembly 1 are transmitted to the mounting body 11 and the degree to which vibrations propagate through the mounting body 11 are both reduced. The invention is generally implemented in two parts of the mounting body 11, namely a first motor contact 13 and a second motor contact 14, which are part of the inner circumferential portion 12 of the mounting body 11. In the example shown, the latter motor contact 14 also has the function of contacting the housing 2 and is therefore referred to as a combined motor/housing contact 14. Furthermore, in the example shown, the first motor contact 13 covers a portion of the inner portion 12 having the smallest diameter, and the combined motor/housing contact 14 covers a portion of the inner portion 12 having the larger diameter. The first motor contact 13 and the combined motor/housing contact 14 are connected to each other by a connection 15, as can best be seen in fig. 7 or other cross-sectional views showing the mounting device 10 or a part of the mounting device 10.
In the example shown, the first motor contact 13 is shaped as a lip seal and comprises an annular lip or annular fin 16 for abutment against the motor assembly 1, which abutment may have sealing properties. Based on this specific shape of the first motor contact 13, a first contact position of the mounting body 11 to the motor assembly 1 is achieved with a relatively low stiffness in the radial direction and in the axial direction. It should be noted that within the framework of the invention the application of the lip seal 16 is not essential and may also have other shapes involving a relatively low degree of stiffness of the first motor contact 13. The radial position of the first motor contact part 13 is maintained by the combined motor/housing contact part 14 and a connection part 15 extending from the combined motor/housing contact part 14 towards the first motor contact part 13, which connection part 15 is configured to have a sufficient radial stiffness, as will be explained below.
At the front side, the combined motor/housing contact 14 is provided with an annular sealing rib 17 for sealingly contacting the wall of the chamber 7 for collecting and containing dust and dirt in the forward axial direction. In this way, air leakage is avoided which would cause the impeller 4 to fail in action. During operation, air is drawn in at the front side of the motor assembly 1. Thus, a negative pressure is created at the front side of the motor assembly 1, under the influence of which the motor assembly 1 is pulled in a forward direction, pressing against the mounting body 11 and thereby pressing the sealing rib 17 against the wall of the chamber 7 for collecting and containing dust and dirt, in order to achieve/reinforce the sealing function of the sealing rib 17.
In the example shown, the radial position of the axial motor support member 19 corresponds to the radial position of the sealing rib 17 at the other side of the combined motor/housing contact 14. Within the framework of the invention, it is also possible to have an alternative positioning of the axial motor support members 19 with respect to the sealing ribs 17, i.e. a positioning in which the radial position of the axial motor support members 19 deviates from the radial position of the sealing ribs 17. In the illustrated case, the pressure exerted by the motor assembly 1 on the axial motor support member 19 during operation is directly transmitted to the sealing rib 17, however, in the alternative, the pressure transmission is indirect, since the axial motor support member 19 and the sealing rib 17 are staggered radially, which may be advantageous when compensating for pressure differences.
At the rear side, the combined motor/housing contact 14 is provided with a plurality of radial ribs 18 (i.e. ribs 18 extending in a radial direction), and a plurality of axial motor support members 19. In the example shown, the radial ribs 18 and the axial motor support members 19 are arranged in a regular pattern along the circumferential direction of the combined motor/housing contact 14, in particular in an alternating pattern of two mutually spaced radial ribs 18 and one axial motor support member 19. It will be understood that the invention is not in any way limited to this exemplary pattern. The radial ribs 18 are thickened portions of the combined motor/housing contact 14, while the axial motor support members 19 project from regions 20 present between adjacent radial ribs 18, which regions 20 are less thick than the radial ribs 18, and therefore the regions 20 have less stiffness in both the radial and axial directions than the radial ribs 18.
The axial motor support member 19 has a free end for contacting the motor assembly 1 in a rearward axial direction. It will be appreciated that the above-described effect of the motor assembly 1 being pulled forward under the influence of the negative pressure prevailing at the front side of the motor assembly 1 also causes the motor assembly 1 to be pressed against the axial motor support member 19. The axial motor support member 19 may have any shape suitable for having an axial mounting effect on the motor assembly 1, wherein it should be noted that the shape shown in the drawings, i.e. the cylindrical shape tapering towards the free end, is only one of many possible possibilities. One notable aspect of the mounting device 10 according to the invention is that the axial motor support member 19 extends from the relatively less stiff regions 20 present between the radial ribs 18 without contacting the radial ribs 18 or any other thickened portions of the mounting body 11. In this way, the axial stiffness provided by the axial motor support members 19 is decoupled as much as possible from the radial stiffness provided by the radial ribs 18, which is advantageous for avoiding the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly 1 coupled to the mounting body 11 to the housing 2 at the location of the axial motor support members 19.
As can best be seen in fig. 7 and other cross-sectional views showing the mounting device 10 or a part of the mounting device 10, the connecting portion 15 has a gradually increasing wall thickness in the direction from the first motor contact portion 13 to the combined motor/housing contact portion 14 and thus a gradually increasing stiffness in this direction. What is achieved in this way is that the connection 15 can on the one hand provide sufficient rigidity for determining the position of the first motor contact 13, and on the other hand can have as little rigidity as possible at the side where vibration propagation should be avoided as far as possible. Furthermore, the stiffness of the connecting portion 15 of the mounting body 11, the combined motor/housing contact portion 14 and other parts than the first motor contact portion 13 may be selected such that significant deformations at the location of the connecting portion 15 of the mounting body 11, the combined motor/housing contact portion 14 and other parts of the mounting body 11 are substantially avoided.
Within the framework of the invention, there may be measures for reducing the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly 1 to the housing 2 at the location of the inner portion 12 of the mounting body 11, but also at the location of the outer peripheral portion 21 of the mounting body 11. For example, as shown, the outer peripheral portion 21 of the mounting body 11 may be provided with an annular groove 22 (a V-groove 22 in the example shown) for locally reducing the radial stiffness, thereby avoiding a situation in which the mounting body 11 is tightly and rigidly stretched over the motor assembly 1. Furthermore, the annular housing contact portion 23, which is part of the outer portion 21 of the mounting body 11 and which is positioned at the outer periphery of the mounting body 11, may have a relatively small wall thickness in the radial direction in order to have a relatively small radial stiffness, wherein the housing contact portion 23 may be reinforced by ribs 24, 25, 26 at suitable locations, and wherein the arrangement of the ribs 24, 25, 26 may be selected in order to have an optimal effect on reducing the transmission of vibrations from the motor assembly 1 to the housing 2 at the outer periphery of the mounting body 11. In any case, the radial stiffness of the housing contact portion 23 at the location of the ribs 24, 25, 26 may be selected to be greater than the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion 13.
In fig. 7 and 8 it is clearly seen how the outer edge 27 of the lip seal 16 may be thickened with respect to the rest of the lip seal 16, which is feasible to avoid that during operation, under the influence of the negative pressure prevailing at the front side of the motor assembly 1, the outer edge 27 of the lip seal 16 is pulled in the forward direction to such an extent that the lip seal 16 is turned into a projecting position with respect to the connection 15 (instead of a bent position with respect to the connection 15) and is no longer able to perform its sealing function. Furthermore, fig. 8 shows how the lip seal 16 contacts the motor assembly 1 in a sealing manner.
It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The figures are schematic, wherein details not necessary for understanding the invention may be omitted and the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Elements and aspects discussed with respect to or relating to a particular embodiment may be combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments as appropriate, unless explicitly stated otherwise. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
The term "substantially" as used herein will be understood by those skilled in the art to apply to a situation in which a particular effect may be achieved in its theoretical entirety, but with practical scope for its actual achievement. Where applicable, the term "substantially" may be understood as meaning an adjective with a percentage of 90% or higher, such as 95% or higher, in particular 99% or higher, even more in particular 99.5% or higher, including 100%.
The term "comprising" as used herein will be understood by those skilled in the art to encompass the term "consisting. Thus, for the purposes of an embodiment, the term "comprising" may mean "consisting of", but in another embodiment may mean "comprising" at least the defined substance and optionally one or more other substances.
The summary of the invention can be summarized as follows. An apparatus 10 for mounting a motor assembly 1 of an electrical appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, in a housing 2 of the electrical appliance is adapted to reduce the transmission of vibrations of the motor assembly 1 to the housing 2. In particular, the inner peripheral portion 12 of the elastic mounting body 11 of the device 10 (intended for being arranged between the motor assembly 1 and the casing 2) is configured to comprise a first motor contact 13, a second motor contact 14 provided with an axial motor support member 19, and a connection portion 15 interconnecting the motor contacts 13, 14. The radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion 13 is less than the radial stiffness of the connection portion 15, preferably at most a quarter of the radial stiffness of the connection portion 15, even more preferably at most a tenth of the radial stiffness of the connection portion 15, so that the extent of vibrations of the motor assembly 1 coupled into the mounting body 11 at the location of contact to the first motor contact portion 13 may be minimal. It is advantageous if the axial stiffness of the first motor contact portion 13 is also less than the axial stiffness of the connection portion 15 and the axial motor support member 19.
Claims (17)
1. An arrangement (10) for mounting an electric motor assembly (1) of an electrical appliance in a housing (2) of the appliance, the arrangement comprising an elastic mounting body (11) for arranging between the electric motor assembly (1) and the housing (2), wherein an outer portion (21) of the mounting body (11) comprises a housing contact portion (23) for contacting the housing (2), and wherein an inner circumferential portion (12) of the elastic mounting body (11) comprises:
a first motor contact (13) and a second motor contact (14) for contacting the motor assembly (1) at different contact positions, the first motor contact (13) contacting the motor assembly (1) in at least one radial direction and the second motor contact (14) contacting the motor assembly in at least one axial direction and being provided with an axial motor support member (19) for abutting the motor assembly (1) in the axial direction, and
a connecting portion (15) connecting the first motor contact portion (13) and the second motor contact portion (14) to each other,
wherein the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion (13) is smaller than the radial stiffness of the connection portion (15).
2. The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion (13) is at most a quarter of the radial stiffness of the connection portion (15).
3. The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the radial stiffness of the first motor contact portion (13) is at most one tenth of the radial stiffness of the connection portion (15).
4. The device (10) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the diameter of the second motor contact (14) is larger than the diameter of the first motor contact (13).
5. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second motor contact (14) is a combined motor/housing contact (14) for contacting the housing (2) in a first axial direction and contacting the motor assembly (1) in a second axial direction opposite to the first axial direction.
6. The device (10) according to claim 5, wherein a radial position of the axial motor support member (19) on the mounting body (11) corresponds to a position of a radial centre line of a region (17) of the combined motor/housing contact (14) on the mounting body (11), wherein the region (17) of the combined motor/housing contact (14) is for contacting the housing (2) in the first axial direction.
7. A device (10) according to any of claims 1-3 and 6, wherein the second motor contact (14) of the mounting body (11) comprises a first type of region (18) and a second type of region (20), the first type of region (18) having a higher radial stiffness than the second type of region (20), and the regions (18, 20) are arranged in a pattern along the circumference of the second motor contact (14), wherein the first type of region (18) alternates with the second type of region (20), the axial motor support member (19) being arranged in the second type of region (20).
8. Device (10) according to claim 7, wherein the second motor contact portion (14) of the mounting body (11) is provided with a rib (18), which rib (18) extends in a substantially radial direction over the mounting body (11).
9. The device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the ribs (18) and the axial motor support member (19) are located at the same side of the mounting body (11), the axial motor support member (19) being arranged at a position between the ribs (18) without contacting the ribs (18) as seen in a circumferential direction of the second motor contact portion (14) of the mounting body (11).
10. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1-3, 6, 8 and 9, wherein the axial stiffness of the first motor contact portion (13) is less than the axial stiffness of the connection portion (15) and the axial motor support member (19).
11. Device (10) according to any one of claims 1-3, 6, 8 and 9, wherein the first motor contact part (13) of the mounting body (11) is shaped as a lip seal comprising a lip (16) for abutting against the motor assembly (1).
12. The device (10) of claim 11, wherein the outer edge (27) of the lip (16) is thickened relative to the remainder of the lip (16).
13. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1-3, 6, 8, 9 and 12, wherein the connecting portion (15) of the mounting body (11) has a gradually increasing wall thickness in a direction from the first motor contact portion (13) of the mounting body (11) to the second motor contact portion (14) of the mounting body (11).
14. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1-3, 6, 8, 9 and 12, wherein the axial motor support means comprises a cylindrical protrusion (19) extending in an axial direction from the second motor contact portion (14) of the mounting body (11).
15. The device (10) according to claim 14, wherein the cylindrical protrusion (19) has a tapered shape.
16. An electrical appliance comprising a motor assembly (1), a housing (2) and a device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the mounting body (11) of the device (10) is arranged between the motor assembly (1) and the housing (2), wherein a housing contact portion (23) of the mounting body (11) contacts the housing (2), and wherein both the first motor contact portion (13) and the second motor contact portion (14) of the mounting body (11) of the device (10) contact the motor assembly (1).
17. An electrical appliance according to claim 16, which is a vacuum cleaner for removing dust and dirt from a surface, wherein the housing (2) of the appliance comprises a chamber (6) for accommodating the motor assembly (1), and a chamber (7) for collecting and accommodating the dust and dirt, the chambers (6, 7) being located adjacent to each other, and wherein said means (10) are arranged at the intersection of said chambers (6, 7), the mounting body (11) of the device (10) extending from the interior of a chamber (6) for housing the motor assembly (1) towards the chamber (7) for collecting and housing the dust and dirt, and at least during the operation of the appliance, the mounting body (11) of the device (10) is in contact with a wall defining a chamber (7) for collecting and containing the dust and dirt.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP15192583.1 | 2015-11-02 | ||
EP15192583 | 2015-11-02 | ||
PCT/EP2016/075710 WO2017076704A1 (en) | 2015-11-02 | 2016-10-26 | A device for mounting a motor assembly of an electric appliance |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
CN107635446A CN107635446A (en) | 2018-01-26 |
CN107635446B true CN107635446B (en) | 2022-05-06 |
Family
ID=54365155
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
CN201680033820.8A Active CN107635446B (en) | 2015-11-02 | 2016-10-26 | Device for mounting an electric motor assembly of an electrical appliance |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20180296048A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3280307B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN107635446B (en) |
PL (1) | PL3280307T3 (en) |
RU (1) | RU2664223C1 (en) |
TR (1) | TR201910984T4 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2017076704A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3086157B1 (en) * | 2018-09-24 | 2020-09-04 | Seb Sa | SUCTION DEVICE FOR DOMESTIC VACUUM CLEANERS |
FR3086156B1 (en) * | 2018-09-24 | 2020-08-28 | Seb Sa | SUCTION DEVICE FOR DOMESTIC VACUUM CLEANERS |
FR3086155B1 (en) * | 2018-09-24 | 2020-08-28 | Seb Sa | SUCTION DEVICE FOR DOMESTIC VACUUM CLEANERS |
JP2021065463A (en) * | 2019-10-24 | 2021-04-30 | 株式会社マキタ | Dust collector |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP2011106408A (en) * | 2009-11-20 | 2011-06-02 | Panasonic Corp | Electric blower and vacuum cleaner provided with the same |
EP2510861A2 (en) * | 2011-04-12 | 2012-10-17 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Motor assembly for a domestic appliance powered by an electric motor |
JP2013220291A (en) * | 2012-04-19 | 2013-10-28 | Panasonic Corp | Electric fan and vacuum cleaner using the same |
GB2513661A (en) * | 2013-05-03 | 2014-11-05 | Dyson Technology Ltd | Vibration isolation mount |
CN104840154A (en) * | 2014-02-18 | 2015-08-19 | 莱克电气股份有限公司 | Motor noise reduction structure applied to dust collector |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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EP2255711A1 (en) * | 2009-03-17 | 2010-12-01 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Vacuum cleaner |
KR20100112928A (en) * | 2009-04-10 | 2010-10-20 | 삼성광주전자 주식회사 | Sealing member for fan motor case and fan motor case |
-
2016
- 2016-10-26 RU RU2017143976A patent/RU2664223C1/en active
- 2016-10-26 TR TR2019/10984T patent/TR201910984T4/en unknown
- 2016-10-26 US US15/575,832 patent/US20180296048A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2016-10-26 CN CN201680033820.8A patent/CN107635446B/en active Active
- 2016-10-26 WO PCT/EP2016/075710 patent/WO2017076704A1/en active Application Filing
- 2016-10-26 EP EP16785507.1A patent/EP3280307B1/en active Active
- 2016-10-26 PL PL16785507T patent/PL3280307T3/en unknown
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2011106408A (en) * | 2009-11-20 | 2011-06-02 | Panasonic Corp | Electric blower and vacuum cleaner provided with the same |
EP2510861A2 (en) * | 2011-04-12 | 2012-10-17 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Motor assembly for a domestic appliance powered by an electric motor |
JP2013220291A (en) * | 2012-04-19 | 2013-10-28 | Panasonic Corp | Electric fan and vacuum cleaner using the same |
GB2513661A (en) * | 2013-05-03 | 2014-11-05 | Dyson Technology Ltd | Vibration isolation mount |
CN104840154A (en) * | 2014-02-18 | 2015-08-19 | 莱克电气股份有限公司 | Motor noise reduction structure applied to dust collector |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP3280307A1 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
WO2017076704A1 (en) | 2017-05-11 |
US20180296048A1 (en) | 2018-10-18 |
CN107635446A (en) | 2018-01-26 |
PL3280307T3 (en) | 2019-11-29 |
TR201910984T4 (en) | 2019-08-21 |
EP3280307B1 (en) | 2019-05-29 |
RU2664223C1 (en) | 2018-08-15 |
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Effective date of registration: 20231206 Address after: The city of Eindhoven in Holland Patentee after: Fansongni Holdings Ltd. Address before: The city of Eindhoven in Holland Patentee before: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. |