Classifications

• • 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
  • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
  • A47L9/16—Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
  • A47L9/1608—Cyclonic chamber constructions
• • 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
  • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
  • A47L9/16—Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
  • A47L9/1658—Construction of outlets
• • 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
  • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
  • A47L9/16—Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
  • A47L9/1683—Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• • 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
  • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
  • A47L9/16—Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
  • A47L9/1691—Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a waste recovery device intended to equip a vacuum cleaner having a waste separation system of inertial type or by cyclone.
• These devices therefore generally comprise a shell comprising an inner tube.
• the air often introduced tangentially inside the shell follows a helical path descending around the tube by projecting the solid particles against the internal face of the wall, these particles then being collected by gravity along the wall in a receptacle inferior. At the end of the spiral, the air freed of solid particles rises in the central tube.
• the finest and therefore lighter particles are mainly entrained by the flow in the central tube, the centrifugal forces mentioned above playing, with respect to said particles, only a secondary role compared to the forces of training.
• the majority of these particles do not separate from the air flow and are recovered downstream of the device by means, for example, of a pleated media filter.
• a residual part of the fine particles is received in the waste receptacle whereas this fine dust should not be separated by the cyclonic device.
• This observation can be explained by the fact that part fine dust remains linked to larger bulky waste, by mechanical attachment or by electrostatic type surface forces.
• the probability of collecting it in the waste bin is greater than the probability for a particle of the same size located more axially in the incoming flow.
• the lower waste receptacle should be emptied regularly. As part of the air flow tends to penetrate inside the receptacle, this receptacle is often given large dimensions, in order to manage to store the particles far enough from the air flows entering the receptacle, so that this waste is not re-entrained outside of said receptacle. These large dimensions also make it possible to space out the operations for emptying the receptacle.
• the separation device is a vertical cyclonic device, the waste recovery tank then being located under the separation device.
• the separated waste accumulates in the lower part of the cyclone, at the level of the inversion of the air flow, and is entrained in the tank by inertial projection, the accumulation of waste in the tank being favored by gravity , consequence of the vertical arrangement of the cyclonic device.
• the separation device is not disposed in a preferential orientation, such as that described in document FR 2 778 546
• said tank is located on the path of the air rotated by the device waste separation.
• the tank is located on the periphery of the separation device, in this case by centrifugation using a screw, so that a minimum of air and a maximum of waste are introduced into the tank. , the waste possibly being stopped by a retaining grid. This waste thus accumulates in the collecting tank.
• the tray has the general shape of a box, with or without the presence of a cover.
• the waste recovery bin is removable and has a grip handle. It also comprises two separation devices, one by a perforated wall, the other by a cyclonic device, elements which can however be removed from the tank for emptying and / or cleaning said tank. These emptying and cleaning operations are therefore not very easy to execute, since they require disassembly of the constituent parts of the receptacle, and of the parts associated with the principle of separation of waste.
• One of the aims of the present invention is to alleviate the problems of maneuverability and complexity of the waste recovery tanks of the devices of the prior art and thus to improve the comfort of use of vacuum cleaners for separating cyclonic type waste or by centrifugation.
• Another object of the invention is to provide the user with a receptacle which can be emptied in a careful and controlled manner while minimizing the quantity of fine dust which escapes and flies around the receptacle and the dustbin.
• the present invention is achieved with the aid of a removable waste recovery tank separated by a cyclonic or inertial type device for a vacuum type waste collection device, said tank comprising several walls delimiting a storage volume, among said walls are remarkable a wall forming the bottom of the tank, called the bottom wall, as well as at least one wall provided with an opening, called the connecting wall, characterized in that:
• the bottom wall and the connecting wall are contiguous, presenting either a curvature of one and / or the other wall, or an inclination between said walls,
• the opening of the connecting wall is located in the immediate vicinity of the zone of contiguity between said wall and the bottom wall.
• the container has the shape of a pouring spout, so that it is easy to empty the waste through the opening made in the connecting wall, operation facilitated by the location from the drain opening closest to the bottom wall.
• the user can thus control the exit of the waste by giving an inclination just sufficient so that the dust can start to slip without taking a significant speed which would cause the flight of the fine dust which is, de facto, in the bin.
• the removable waste recovery tank is in a somehowlic connection with the waste separation device by the opening of the connection wall when it is disposed within the suction system .
• This arrangement makes it possible to avoid two openings within the container: a first to make the waste penetrate inside the container, as well as a second opening to empty the container.
• the internal volume for storing the waste from the waste recovery tank is devoid of any part, conduit or device for separating the waste.
• waste recovery tanks include a part of the waste separation device, so that emptying the tank requires either partial disassembly of said part, discouraging disassembly, or almost impossibility correct cleaning of tray.
• the container By making the container removable and of continuous interior volume, it facilitates the cleaning of said container and therefore the comfort of use of the vacuum cleaner.
• the waste recovery container has a handle located on one of the walls other than the connecting wall and the bottom wall, said handle being located outside the volume defined by said container in order to facilitate the gripping the tray.
• the bottom wall is substantially planar. This flatness makes it possible to maintain a homogeneous speed of sliding of the dust, minimizing the turbulences favorable to make fly the dust.
• the bottom wall is smooth, either by a special molding, or by a specific surface treatment, including a deposit of a layer of non-stick such as PTFE .
• the connecting wall is also substantially planar, said bottom and connecting walls being inclined relative to each other by an angle between 40 ° and 70 °.
• This angular range corresponds to an optimum between the ease of pouring the waste out of the bin and the size of said bin.
• the tank comprises, outside the waste storage volume, a duct for discharging the purified air.
• This conduit allows to gain overall compactness of the device, by avoiding bypassing the waste storage bin.
• the conduit opens:
• part of the wall or walls of the conduit is common with the walls delimiting the storage volume of the waste, making it possible to save in terms of material and costs, the common parts being developed during the molding operation of the walls of the tank.
• a removable waste recovery tank as previously described and comprising a cover disposed on the connection wall, said cover comprising an opening corresponding to the opening of the connection wall.
• the surface of the opening of the cover is at least one quarter less than the surface of the opening of the wall, the zone of overlap of the opening of the connecting wall being essentially located towards the zone of contiguity. connecting and bottom walls. It is thus possible to partially obstruct the waste bin, which facilitates the storage of waste by reducing the opening of the bin to the outside.
• the cover or part of the cover is pivotally mounted around an axis distant from the contiguous zone, in order to facilitate emptying of the container when the latter is inclined towards a bin for example, since the cover can then pivot, allowing waste falling into the bin through the opening in the connecting wall and released by the cover.
• the cover comprises at least one peripheral seal with the openings, on one or the other of its faces, making it possible to guarantee a good seal with the air ducts.
• the present invention also relates to a device for separating waste of the inertial or cyclonic type for an electrical device of the vacuum cleaner type, said device comprising a first tube having an air inlet orifice capable of receiving the air sucked in and brought in by the tubing.
• a screw positioned axially in this first tube, a second tube with a diameter less than the outside diameter of the screw and located coaxially in the extension of the first tube, in air communication at one end at the discharge end of the first tube and in connection by its other end to the suction group by a first conduit discharge, a third tube arranged around the second tube and connected to the discharge end of the first tube so as to provide, between the second and the third tube a second waste evacuation conduit to a collecting tank, characterized in that it comprises a tank as previously described.
• the screw and the first, second and third tubes are substantially parallel to the connecting wall of the waste recovery tank, facilitating the introduction of the waste in the tank, as well as the general design of the vacuum cleaner, avoiding dead zones which would increase the size of the device.
• FIG. 1 presents a diagram of the principle of the invention applied to a separator of cyclonic type
• FIG. 2a is a schematic overall view of a complete suction chain within a vacuum cleaner
• FIG. 2b shows the implementation of the invention on a device for separation by inertia
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a vacuum cleaner equipped in particular with the present invention, according to a particular embodiment
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the possible forms of a waste container according to the embodiment of Figure 3
• - Figure 5 shows a cover fitted to a waste container as shown in Figure 4.
• a device 12 for separating waste of the cyclonic type appears comprising a frustoconical envelope 121 as well as a discharge tube 122.
• the air sucked follows the global trajectory 123, first helically descending along the frustoconical wall 121, then going up along the central axis of the discharge tube 122.
• the waste 8 separated by the cyclone is collected in a receptacle 1 located in the lower part of the device, the waste being deposited in the tank by gravity and inertial projection.
• the outlet air is only charged with fine particles which are treated further downstream, if the application requires it.
• the container 1 comprises a bottom wall 2 on which the waste is deposited, a connecting wall 4 comprising an opening 5, a wall 6 comprising a handle 7, as well as two side walls not shown, these walls delimiting a storage volume 10 for waste.
• the opening in the connecting wall 4 allows, on the one hand the waste to pass from the separation device to the tray, but also the emptying of waste from the tray when necessary. Therefore the opening 5 of the connecting wall 4 is located in the continuity of the truncation of the conical envelope 121 of the cyclonic device.
• the bottom wall 2 and the connecting wall 4 are contiguous to each other, for example by a curvature of the bottom wall 2 such as shown.
• Other configurations can be envisaged to ensure this contiguity: curvature of the connecting wall 4, curvature of the two bottom and connecting walls, inclination of the two walls, etc. All these configurations are understood at the level of the internal wall. , delimiting the storage volume, the container possibly having slightly different shapes on the outside.
• the bottom wall may have an internal curvature and an external flatness for reasons of stability when the container is placed on a flat surface.
• the opening 5 of the connecting wall 4 extends to the end of said wall adjacent to the bottom wall 2, so that, by this absence of flange in the connecting wall 4 at the level from the contiguity zone as well as by the very contiguity of the bottom wall and of the connecting wall, the waste can easily slide on the bottom wall and be extracted from the tank without encountering a wall limiting their exit.
• the overall inclination of the bottom and connecting walls it is not useful to overturn or invert the container to empty it.
• the handle 7 facilitates the extraction of the tray as well as the emptying of the latter. It is preferably located outside a wall, opposite the contiguity zone.
• FIGS. 2a and 2b show an example of application of a waste recovery container according to the present invention to a device for separating waste of the inertial type.
• Figure 2a shows a complete suction chain.
• the air enters through the squeegee 24, then into the extensions 25, 26, continues its travel in the handle 28, then in the hose 30, to end up in the frame 32 where the bag for recovering waste.
• a waste separation device 22 of inertial type where the air loaded with waste is rotated using a screw, as shown in Figure 2b.
• the air intake takes place through the axis of the main tube 221 at one end of the latter.
• the flow becomes helical, effectively projecting the solid particles onto the internal wall of the tube 221.
• the screw 222 is exceeded, the air flow splits into two branches, the first, the main duct dedusts air to a main discharge tube 224, the second evacuates the dust and waste which continue their helical movement in the space 223, up to the annex discharge port 225.
• This orifice is in connection with the opening 5 made in the connecting wall 4 of the waste recovery tank, hermetic tank.
• the secondary discharge flow is mainly due to the kinetic energy acquired upstream by the particles, sufficient energy for transport to the adjacent receptacle, the air movements are less turbulent in this area than they are in the upstream circuit, so that a simple opening may be sufficient for the recovery of waste.
• a filter 226 is placed downstream for the treatment of fine waste. It can, as in the figure, be placed in the body of the device. It can be in the form of a classic paper or textile bag, a flat or pleated filter, ...
• FIG. 3 Such a structure is shown in FIG. 3 within a vacuum cleaner body 30.
• a conduit 34 for the arrival of the vacuumed waste and entering the body of the vacuum cleaner by the mouth 32 a screw 36 mounted in a cylindrical body 38.
• a tube 40 allows the evacuation of the purified air, while the cylindrical body 38 has an opening 41 for the evacuation of the separated waste.
• the operation of such a device is explained in more detail in patent FR 2,778,546 in the name of the applicant.
• a bin 44 for collecting waste completes the separation device.
• this tank 44 includes a bottom wall 46, a connecting wall 48 adjoining the bottom wall 46, as well as a rear wall 50.
• Two side walls, 45a and 45b, visible in FIG. 4 thus make it possible to define a storage volume 54.
• the connecting wall 48 and the bottom wall 46 are contiguous by an inclination and a curvature of the connecting wall 48, supplemented by a curvature 47 of the wall bottom 46.
• an opening 49 is formed in the connecting wall 48, this opening extending to the bottom wall 46, as is clearly visible in FIG. 4.
• the connecting wall 48 has an overall inclination relative to said bottom wall 46 and therefore relative to the horizontal, by a neighboring angle. 60 °.
• the separation device 31 is also inclined at substantially the same angle so that the passage of the separated waste, in the tank 44, is carried out without an intermediate conduit. This arrangement also avoids any dead zone between the cylindrical body 38 and said tank 44.
• the air discharge duct 40 discharged of waste, has a bend and is extended by a pipe 42 passing through the waste bin.
• This conduit opens, at 60, into a space comprising a filter 62 behind which is the suction group 64.
• Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the waste container according to a particular embodiment.
• the conduit 42 has two walls 42a and 42b in common with the walls delimiting the storage volume of the waste, each face of these common walls delimiting either the waste container or the discharge conduit 42.
• the container comprises also a third wall 42c of the duct 42, an annex piece not shown, coming into the anchoring points 43, in order to laterally close the duct 42.
• the container 44 includes a cover 70 which covers part or all of the outside face of the connecting wall 48.
• a cover 70 which covers part or all of the outside face of the connecting wall 48.
• a joint 72 produced by a strip of flexible material of elastomer type, constituting in a way a hinge, allows the covering part 71 to be able to pivot relative to the axis xx 'constituted by the strip 72.
• Any other configuration allowing the cover or a part of the cover to pivot or tilt can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention . It is thus possible to design a cover articulated by mechanical hinges or having a through axis fixed in the side walls 45a, 45b, for example.
• the cover has, in the covering part 71, an opening 74 allowing the waste coming from the separation device 31, to enter the collecting tank.
• the opening is preferably located off-center towards one of the side faces.
• the screw pitch being on the right, the rotating waste arrives on the connecting wall 48 while being close to the side wall 45a, which justifies the location of the opening 74 as shown.
• a similar reasoning can be held when the thread is on the left, the opening 74 then extending essentially towards the wall 45b when the cover is mounted on the tank.
• this opening can be completed by a multitude of holes 78 making it possible to trap light waste possibly re-entrained by the weak flow entering 74 in the tank.
• the cover has a peripheral seal 75 around the opening 49, coming to bear on the connecting wall 48, or on the edge of the walls 45a, 45b and 46 when the cover is placed on said connecting wall 48.
• a seal can also be arranged around the opening 77, on the inner wall of the cover and / or on the outer wall.
• the opening 74 is much smaller than the opening 49 of the connecting wall. At a minimum, it represents 5% of the surface of the opening 49. At the maximum, the surface of this opening represents 75% of the surface of the opening 49, in order to keep the cover its function of covering the opening 49 , playing, as it were, the role of a wall defining the storage volume.
• the surface of the opening is between 5 and 25% of the surface of the opening 49.
• the surface of the opening 74 represents approximately 20% of the surface of the opening 49.
• the section of the opening 74 is between 10 and 25 cm 2 , and preferably close to 20 cm 2 .
• Several solutions can be used to hold the cover on the connecting wall 48: mechanical assemblies by screws, nuts, clips, or gluing, etc. The holding can also be carried out on the walls 45a and 45b when they are used to realize the axis of rotation of the cover.
• three retaining clips 74a cooperate with three recesses 74b arranged on the outer face of the wall 48 to maintain the cover.
• the recesses preferably, do not open into the storage volume 54 of the tank.
• the cover 70 has an opening 77 allowing the aeraulic continuity of the ducts 40 and 42.
• two retaining clips 76a cooperate with two recesses 76b formed outside the wall 48.
• a handle can be placed in abutment against the rear part 56 of the container, said part comprising a recessed area 58, facilitating the handling of the container.
• the waste container may be translucent in order to display the filling rate with dust. It is indeed important to ensure that the receptacle is not overfilled and therefore to empty it frequently. It can be harmful for the device to overfill the waste receptacle because this waste can then be re-entrained by the air flows in the discharge tube, thus representing a danger for the engine, located downstream of the tube.
• the separated waste enters the tank 44 through the opening 49, the opening 74 in the cover limiting the turbulence inside the tank and therefore the rise of dust towards the separation system.
• the purified air is entrained in the conduits 41, then 42, passes through the filter 62 then the motor 64 before being evacuated.
• the user removes the tray 44 by the handle, and transports it to a trash can.
• the bottom wall 46 where the waste is received being substantially horizontal in the vacuum cleaner, the user can thus transport the container without handling the container causing sudden movements of the waste, which would result in resuspending the fine dust.
• the curvature 47 allows the waste to avoid gaining speed when it comes out of the bin, since then the curvature 47 is substantially horizontal. This effect is similar to that of a slide with a substantially flat area preventing a sudden fall by decreasing the speed.
• the cover 70 pivots around the axis 72, freeing the opening 49 in order to allow the waste to leave the container and fall into the bin, with a minimum of turbulence and therefore with a minimum of fine dust resuspended in air, providing obvious user comfort.
• the absence of an interior room is also a factor limiting turbulence.
• the user can, at leisure, empty the waste collector, possibly each time he uses the vacuum cleaner equipped with a waste separation device and the present invention.
• the simplicity of the internal volume intended for the collection of waste as well as the absence of any internal part allows an easy cleaning of the tank. The latter can therefore be emptied and cleaned using a cloth or by passing it under water, each time it is used, without disassembly or accessibility constraints, bringing greater hygiene to the vacuum cleaner which can thus be stored away from the collected waste.
• means for guiding said container can be arranged on the frame and on the container.
• These means may consist of complementary parts in sliding, such as slides, or any other device known per se to provide guidance of two parts, one of which is fixed and the other mobile.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Filters For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
• Cyclones (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8850281

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (24)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2000
  • 2000-05-16 FR FR0006239A patent/FR2808988B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-05-15 CN CNB018012221A patent/CN1192742C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-05-15 WO PCT/FR2001/001461 patent/WO2001087131A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-05-15 US US10/031,119 patent/US6772473B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-05-15 EP EP01936511A patent/EP1196074A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-05-15 BR BR0106101-1A patent/BR0106101A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-05-15 PL PL01351819A patent/PL351819A1/xx unknown
  • 2001-05-15 AU AU62403/01A patent/AU6240301A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-05-15 RU RU2002103875/12A patent/RU2266032C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2003
  • 2003-02-18 HK HK03101191.2A patent/HK1048930B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events