EP1600094B1 - Waste collecting device for vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The cleaner has a frame (86) with housing (90) in which a container (70) slides vertically. A sleeve pack (60) of a dust bag is placed on one side of the container. The bag has an opening to provide access to volume of a filtering envelope fixed on the sleeve pack. The container has a gripping handle (80) for extracting the container from the frame. The container side makes a part of an upper side of the cleaner.

Description

The present invention relates to a dust collection device housed in a vacuum cleaner, using a dust bag, and more particularly to a hygienic and easy to use device.

The use of dust bags in vacuum cleaners to temporarily store waste is widespread. The bag allows simple handling of this waste. The binding, or attachment, of the bag inside the vacuum cleaner is generally provided by a relatively rigid portion, an integral part of the bag, often made in the form of a cardboard sheet, provided with an opening, allowing the aeraulic connection between the suction duct connected to the nozzle, and the dust bag. In the following description, the term cardboard will be used to designate this part.

One of the disadvantages of this type of dust separator is relative to its renewal. Indeed, when the bag needs to be changed, its replacement often involves its direct handling that can generate a dust rejection in the room that has just been treated, and / or the user changing the bag.

It is known, by the document WO 00/353331 an aspirator comprising a frame in which is housed a removable tray with a filter at its bottom and a disposable paper bag. The tray has a handle on its front wall. The bag is provided with a cardboard disposed on one of the open sides of the tray, which is the upper face. In this way, the vacuum cleaner comprises a pivoting upper cover from covering the cardboard and making the aeraulic connection between a flexible hose connected to the nozzle and the dust bag. It is thus necessary to rotate this cover to access the dust container, and to unlock the tray, which complicates the operation of changing the dust bag.

One of the aims of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a simplification of the replacement of the bag with dust, while maintaining the hygienic aspect of this replacement by only handling the container containing the bag.

• le bac est disposé verticalement dans le logement,
• la poignée est agencée sur la face supérieure du bac, ladite face du bac réalisant une partie de la face supérieure de l'aspirateur, de telle sorte à rendre le bac directement accessible par l'utilisateur.

The present invention is achieved by means of an electric vacuum cleaner comprising a frame, inside which is housed a motor-fan unit, and a removable waste collection tray disposed in a housing of the frame, the frame having an open air connection end at one of its ends in the housing, said container being of substantially parallelepiped shape, and wherein a dust bag can be arranged, said bag comprising a cardboard made of a relatively rigid material and provided with an opening giving access to the volume of a filter envelope fixed on the cardboard, the tray comprising a handle for its extraction from the frame, characterized in that:

• the tray is arranged vertically in the housing,
• the handle is arranged on the upper face of the tray, said tank face forming part of the upper face of the vacuum cleaner, so as to make the tray directly accessible by the user.

Thus, by this arrangement, the tray is constantly visible by the user and easily accessible. The vertical arrangement aids in practical handling of the bin.

Advantageously, when a bag is placed in the trough, the cardboard of the bag occupies one of the lateral faces of the trough, and the end of the aerodynamic connection end is then slightly inserted in the opening of the cardboard or in vis-à-vis said cardboard, when the tray is disposed in the housing.

The cardboard of the bag being disposed laterally, the suppression of its interaction with the tip, when the latter is weakly inserted into the opening of the cardboard, can be achieved by forcing the cardboard to bend to escape the interaction with the card. tip. By the slightly inserted expression, it is understood that the connection tip enters the bag within a distance of less than one centimeter.

The rigidity presented by the cardboard must be understood in the sense that the cardboard has good mechanical strength, but also has a certain flexibility, and in particular a transverse elasticity to allow, after bending, to return to its initial rectilinear position when the interaction between the cardboard and the connection tip ceases, especially when the latter penetrates slightly into the opening of said cardboard.
Preferably, the tray is slidably disposed in the housing. In this way, the removal of the tray is simplified, without manipulation other than slide the tray from its housing in the vacuum cleaner.

Moreover, the cardboard bag occupying one side of the tray, the replacement of the bag is easy, the latter being easily accessible.

Advantageously, the housing of the tray is of complementary shape to said tray, ensuring an automatic and identical positioning of the opening of the cardboard vis-à-vis the tip.

According to one of the preferred forms of implementation of the invention, the end of the aeraulic connection piece is of substantially circular section and disposed on the sliding path of the tray.

This embodiment automatically generates the interaction between the aeraulic connection tip and the cardboard, the latter having to bend to achieve the total introduction of the tray into the vacuum, the bending providing, by the effect elastic cardboard, the necessary interaction between the tip of the tip and the opening of the bag. This interaction therefore occurs without direct manipulation of the bag that is in the tray. Similarly, when removing the tray, the cardboard is bent to escape the interaction of the tip, without direct manipulation of the bag, reducing the risk of getting dirty when changing said dust bag.

Advantageously, the cardboard is based on projections from the peripheral faces to the face occupied by the cardboard, so that the bending of the cardboard can be fully realized.

According to a preferred embodiment of the cardboard, the latter is made of a relatively rigid material, said cardboard being formed of a superposition of at least three sheets: an upper sheet, an intermediate sheet and a lower sheet held together and each having at least one orifice defining an opening in the carton, the bottom sheet being in contact with the filter casing, the intermediate sheet being cut so that a flap, substantially of the same thickness and having an orifice, can slide between the sheet lower and the upper sheet between two extreme positions, one of its positions making the opening in the cardboard while the other position closes said opening, the contour of the opening of the upper sheet substantially corresponding to the sliding area the orifice of the flap, and in that the thickness of the contour of the orifice of the flight and is at least 0.5 millimeters.

The main feature of this embodiment is related to the accessibility of the shutter to allow its sliding, which is achieved by the opening of the upper sheet which covers the entire sliding area of the flap orifice.

In this way, given the thickness of the perimeter of the flap, the aeraulic connection endpiece, resting on the edge of the opening of the shutter, substantially perpendicular to the cardboard, can be used to slide the flap, by a appropriate relative movement of the cardboard relative to this organ. The latter is fixed, the proper movement of the tray, and therefore the cardboard, can allow an opening or automatic closing of the bag by this simple movement. This is particularly interesting when replacing the bag, since the closure, which is automatic bag, prevents some dust is released into the atmosphere when changing the bag.

It is thus possible to change the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner, without manipulation of said bag, by closing it also automatically when removing the tray from the vacuum, and this without having to remove the suction pipe, while providing a economical and robust solution.

Advantageously, the extreme positions of the flap are determined by the cooperation between stops made by a specific cut of the intermediate sheet, and projecting lugs in the flap, which avoids using other elements outside the bag to limit the flap movements, the thickness of the shutter and leaves allowing a net stop without degradation of the sliding shutter.

Advantageously, the shutter slides in a direction substantially parallel to one of the edges of the cardboard, which simplifies, on the one hand the realization of the cardboard, and on the other hand the relative movement between the cardboard and the tip of Aeraulic connection activating the shutter.

Advantageously, the orifices of the lower sheet and the flap are circular and of substantially the same diameter, thus defining the opening of the cardboard. The circular shape is particularly well suited for a tight connection and without indexing between the cardboard and the air connection tip.

According to a preferred embodiment, the sheets are made of cardboard and have a thickness of at least 0.7 mm, the carton allowing a low cost but requiring a minimum thickness to ensure the expected interactions between the cardboard and the Aeration connection tip.

According to an alternative embodiment, the sheets are made of plastic, which notably provides better sliding of the flap between the two sheets.

In order to achieve a strong interaction between the end of the tip and in particular the orifice of the flap, advantageously, the diameter of the end of the tip is very slightly less than the diameter of the orifices of the lower sheet and the flap.

Advantageously, the tip of the tip is of conical shape, facilitating in particular the suppression of the interaction between the cardboard and the air connection tip.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues en perspective du bac de récupération des poussières selon l'invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue de face du bac équipé du sac à poussières,
• la figure 4 et 5 sont des vues en perspective montrant le mode préféré de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective simplifiée d'un sac à poussières selon une variante avantageuse de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 7 est une vue de dessus montrant la coopération de la cartonnette du sac disposé dans le bâti d'un aspirateur, avec un embout d'aspiration, le bac ayant été simplifié dans sa représentation,
• la figure 8 est une vue schématique agrandie montrant le principe de fermeture du sac,
• la figure 9 est une vue en perspective illustrant le principe de remplacement du sac à poussières,
• la figure 10 présente une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

The present invention will be better understood from the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, among which:

• the Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the dust collection tank according to the invention,
• the figure 3 is a front view of the bin equipped with the dust bag,
• the figure 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the preferred embodiment of the invention,
• the figure 6 is a simplified perspective view of a dust bag according to an advantageous embodiment variant of the invention,
• the figure 7 is a top view showing the cooperation of the cardboard bag disposed in the frame of a vacuum cleaner, with a suction nozzle, the tray having been simplified in its representation,
• the figure 8 is an enlarged schematic view showing the principle of closure of the bag,
• the figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating the principle of replacing the dust bag,
• the figure 10 presents an alternative embodiment of the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, presented Figures 1 to 5 , a cardboard bag 60 dust is positioned in a tray 70, said tray being slidably guided in a housing provided in the frame of a vacuum cleaner. The bag attached to the cardboard has been omitted to make the representation and explanations clearer.

As presented figure 1 , the tray 70 is of substantially parallelepipedic shape with a wall-free face. This face, which is the upper side presented figure 1 , corresponding to the front part of the tray in its use, is intended to receive the cardboard 60, so that the latter occupies substantially the entire surface of this wall-free face, so as to close the tray, as it is clearly visible figure 3 . For this to make, the cardboard 60 is positioned on a multitude of lugs 72 from the tray, from, according to the embodiment, ribs 74 made during the molding of the tray, so that the cardboard is flush with the upper part of the side walls of the tray .

On the face opposite the wall-free face is provided an air outlet by a multitude of openings 82, visible figure 4 .

Moreover, as represented figure 2 , the tray 70 has a large handle 80 formed on the outside of one of the faces of said tray, this face corresponding to the upper face of the tray in use.

The figure 2 and the enlarged detail A also makes it possible to visualize small holding studs 76 of the cardboard, these studs being situated above certain lugs 72 for supporting the cardboard.

The figures 4 and 5 show the tray equipped with the cardboard according to the invention during use.

Thus, the vacuum cleaner 84 has a frame 86 on which are mounted in particular two large wheels 88 at the rear and a small wheel at the front. Partly before the vacuum cleaner is provided a large housing 90. This housing resumes, with the game, the outer dimensions of the tray 70, except the handle, so that the tray is guided, when introduced into the vacuum cleaner, by the walls delimiting said housing.

As it is clearly visible on the figure 4 , a connecting end 92 protrudes inside the housing 90. Thus, the cardboard, by its positioning reconstituting somehow the missing wall of the tray, faces the endpiece when the tray is introduced into the housing according to the provision presented figure 4 . Furthermore, a recess 78 is formed in the tray 70, so that it allows the passage of the nozzle 92 when the tray is introduced into the housing 90, so that the tip enters into interaction with the cardboard 60. The figure 7 allows to illustrate the mode of cooperation between the cardboard and the connection tip.

Indeed, according to this schematic diagram, where the envelope of the bag has been omitted and where the tray is represented only by some of its side walls, it is clearly visible that the connection tip is located on the path of the cardboard housed in the tray, and that the recess 78 allows the tray not to interact with the tip. By cons, the tip is interacting with the cardboard, resting on the pins 72. Thus, the provision of the tip requires bending the cardboard to slide the tray completely in its housing. The cardboard then interacts, of friction type, with the end of the connecting tip 92.

So that the bending is carried out as effectively as possible, the ribs 74 are distributed over the inner periphery of the tray.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, not shown, the cardboard has a single orifice for connecting the tip inside the bag. The interaction between the cardboard and the tip then stops when the orifice is in front of the tip, the elasticity of the cardboard allowing the latter to resume its natural position, the hole surrounding the connection tip . This arrangement allows an automatic connection of the cardboard on the tip.

The reverse operation is carried out when the tray is removed from its housing, the cardboard disconnecting the nozzle by bending.

The handle 80 of the tray has, in addition, a wide edge to bear on the periphery of the housing 90. In this way, the introduction and extraction of the tray is simple and easy, the handle being arranged near the buttons control 94, 96 of the operation of the apparatus.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, as presented figures 6 and 8 , the cardboard 60 of a dust bag 40, is composed of three sheets of the same size: an upper sheet 2, an intermediate sheet 10 and a bottom sheet 30 on which is attached a filter envelope 42.

The upper sheet 2 has an oblong hole 4 as will be explained later.

The intermediate sheet 10 has a recess having indentations, and partially occupied by a flap 20 of thickness substantially equal to that of the sheet 10, and having a circular orifice 26. Moreover, this flap is cut so as to have lugs capable of cooperating with the indentations of the intermediate sheet 10. This cooperation allows the flap to slide between two extreme positions.

Finally, the lower sheet 30, in connection with the envelope of the dust bag, comprises a circular orifice 34, whose dimensions are substantially identical to those of the orifice 26. An elastic membrane 32 is preferably disposed, for example by gluing, under the sheet 30, so as to partially close the orifice to achieve a sealing flange.

The sheets 2, 10 and 30 are integral, for example by gluing or stapling, so that the recess of the topsheet and the holes 34 and 4, are superimposed.

In one of the extreme positions of the flap 20, called the open position, and presented figure 1 , the orifice 26 of the flap 20 coincides with the orifices 4 and 34, so that the cardboard has an opening between the inside and the outside of the dust bag. Moreover, in this position, the contours substantially defining the upper half-perimeter of the orifice 26 coincide with the upper contour of the orifice 4.

In the other extreme position of the flap 20, called the closed position, and presented figure 9 , the opening 26 has moved with the shutter 20, said shutter then masks the opening 34 formed by the juxtaposition of the sheets 2 and 30. Similarly, the opening 26 of the shutter 20 is masked, dust bag side, by the lower sheet 30. There is therefore no more aeraulic connection between the inside and the outside of the dust bag.

In this position, the contours substantially defining the lower half-perimeter of the orifice 26 coincide with the lower contour of the orifice 4.

The shape of the orifice 4 thus corresponds to the displacement of the orifice 26 between the two extreme positions of the flap 20.

The figure 8 shows the principle of cooperation between the dust bag, and in particular its constituent cardboard 60, and the suction nozzle 92 of a ventilation duct 50.

The end of the suction nozzle 92, in interaction with the cardboard, is preferably of circular section, its diameter being very slightly smaller than the diameter of the orifices 26 and 34.

As previously explained, the cardboard is bent in contact with the connection tip 92, establishing a friction of the cardboard on the end of said tip. Thus, as and when the tray is introduced into its housing, the end of the connection piece 92 is first bearing against the sheet 2, then the orifice 4 comes into interaction with said tip, this interaction being immediate if the flap is in the closed position. The orifice 26 of the flap 20 allows the cardboard to be slightly dechlored, this orifice then coming, through part of its contour, in interaction with the endpiece 92.

By this interaction, the additional displacement of the cardboard causes the automatic sliding of the flap 20 to the open position of the flap where the orifice 26 coincides with the orifice 34. The cardboard then resumes an almost rectilinear position, the tip then penetrating slightly inside the bag. The interaction between the nozzle 92 and the cardboard is then performed only by the flange 32, which ensures a good seal between the inside and outside of the bag during suction.

This cooperation is possible only if the sheets constituting the cardboard, and in particular those constituting the shutter, have a sufficient thickness serving as a support for the interaction with the tip 92. Thus, according to the proposed example, the sheets are made of cardboard and have a thickness of 0.8 mm.

The bending and elasticity of the cardboard also ensure this cooperation. However, it is necessary that the cardboard has a certain rigidity to keep a good mechanical strength.

In the same way, when the tray is removed, the cardboard bends slightly and gradually leaves the frame of the apparatus, at the same time as the tray, by sliding of the latter without the housing 90. The endpiece thus enters into interaction with the orifice 26, thus moving the flap to close the bag. Arrived in the closed position, the interaction with the orifice 26 and the orifice 4 ceases, the cartonnnette bending further, until removed from the frame of the vacuum cleaner, by extracting the tray from its housing.

The end of the tip is advantageously conical, to facilitate the attachment or detachment of the cardboard by the tip during insertion or when removing the tray from its housing. It is also conceivable to provide different slopes at the cone in order to promote the suppression of the interaction between the cardboard and the tip during removal of the tray.

According to the proposed example, the maximum deflection due to the bending does not exceed 2 mm. Moreover, the displacement of the flap between its two extreme positions is of the order of 40 mm. The height of the recess 78 is 8 mm.

Thus, by this embodiment, the user has an opening and an automatic closing of his vacuum bag, respectively when he introduces and when he removes the container, containing the vacuum bag, the vacuum mount.

In addition, the replacement of the bag is simple and dirty. Indeed, after removing the tray from its housing by the handle 80, simple operation, the user goes to a bin, the bag being maintained in the tray essentially by pressing the cardboard on the pins 72 and by the pads 76 avoiding the cardboard to switch easily. However, these studs are designed so that the bag can escape these pads, when the tray is overturned by placing the cardboard in front of the ground as shown figure 9 . By performing this operation over a trash can, under the effect of the weight of the bag, or even shaking slightly the tray, the interaction between the cardboard and the pads 76 stops and the bag falls into the trash, without any direct manipulation of the bag by the user.

A new bag can then be positioned for a new cleaning operation.

This introduction and extraction of the tray thus allows, in addition to simple handling of the tray for extracting the bag of the vacuum cleaner, respectively to open and automatically close the flap of the cardboard.

Alternative embodiments may be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, in the second variant embodiment, the interaction between the end of the tip and the opening of the flap being related only to their respective shape, the delimitation of the orifice of the upper sheet must effectively resume at least the shape corresponding to the sliding zone of the orifice of the flap, but may be wider than the latter. It is even possible to envisage that the upper sheet is reduced to thin reduced areas whose function is only to keep the plated flap against the lower sheet, and to limit its sliding.

According to an alternative embodiment, the tip serves only to close the cardboard when removing the bag. The opening of the cardboard, by the sliding of the flap in its open position, can be achieved by pressing the end 21 of the flap, which projects from the cardboard when the flap is in the closed position, against the bottom the housing of the bag, thus allowing to push the flap and thus to position it in the open position of the cardboard.

In order to overcome any bending defects of the cardboard, it may be envisaged to have a flap 100 pivoted by lugs 102 housed in openings 104 of the tray 106. This flap comprises two planar parts rigid: the lower portion 108 and the upper portion 110, between which is disposed one edge of the cardboard 100.

This arrangement then makes it possible to straighten, if necessary, the cardboard during its positioning in the tray, in order to limit a possible defect of flatness.

The upper planar portion 110 is preferably pivotable on the flap, so as to release the cardboard when the tray is turned to drop the bag in a bin.

Claims (13)

1. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) comprising a body (86) inside which a motor-and-fan unit is received, and a removable waste collector receptacle (70, 106) disposed vertically in a recess (90) in the body (86), the body (86) being provided with an air connection end-piece (92) opening out, at one of its ends, into the recess, said receptacle (70, 106) being of substantially rectangular block shape, and in which a dust bag (40) is disposed, said bag (40) being provided with a collar (60, 100) made of a relatively rigid material and provided with an opening (34) giving access to the volume of a filtering casing (42) fastened to the collar (60, 100), the receptacle (70, 106) being provided with a handle (80) for taking hold of it for the purpose of extracting it from the body (86), said vacuum cleaner being
   characterized in that:

   • the handle (80) is arranged on the top face of the receptacle (70, 106), said top face of the receptacle (70, 106) forming a portion of the top face of the vacuum cleaner (84), in such a manner as to make the receptacle (70, 106) accessible directly by the user;

   • the collar (60, 100) occupies one of the side faces of the receptacle (70, 106); and

   • the end of the air connection end-piece (92) is inserted to a small extent into the opening of the collar (60, 100) or is placed facing said collar (60, 100), when the receptacle (70, 106) is disposed in the recess (90).
2. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the receptacle (70, 106) is slidably received in the recess.
3. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the recess (90) for receiving the receptacle is of shape complementary to the shape of said receptacle (70, 106).
4. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the end of the air connection end-piece (92) is of substantially circular section, and is disposed in the path along which the receptacle (70, 106) slides.
5. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the collar (60, 100) rests on projections (72) integral with the faces of the receptacle (70, 106) that are peripheral to the face occupied by the collar (60, 100).
6. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the collar (60, 100) of the dust bag (40) is made of a relatively rigid material, said collar (60, 100) being made up of a superposition of at least three sheets, namely a top sheet (2), an intermediate sheet (10), and a bottom sheet (30) that are held together and each of which is provided with at least one orifice (4, 34) defining an opening in the collar (60, 100), the bottom sheet (30) being in contact with the filtering casing (42), the intermediate sheet (10) being cut up so that a flap (20) that is of substantially the same thickness and that has an orifice (26) can slide between the bottom sheet (30) and the top sheet (2) between two end positions, one of its positions opening up the opening in the collar (60, 100) while the other position closes off said opening, the outline of the orifice (4) in the top sheet (2) corresponding substantially to the zone over which the orifice (26) in the flap (20) slides, and in that the thickness of the outline of the orifice (26) in the flap (20) is at least 0.5 millimeters.
7. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the end positions of the flap (20) are determined by co-operation between firstly abutments formed by specially cutting up the intermediate sheet (10), and secondly projecting lugs provided on the flap (20).
8. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that the flap (20) slides in a direction that is substantially parallel to one of the edges of the collar (60, 100).
9. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the orifices (34, 26) in the bottom sheet (30) and in the flap (20) are circular and of substantially the same diameter.
10. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the sheets (2, 10, 30) are made of card and have a thickness of at least 0.7 mm.
11. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the sheets (2, 10, 30) are made of plastic.
12. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that the diameter of the end of the air connection end-piece (92) is very slightly smaller than the diameter of the orifices (34, 26) in the bottom sheet (30) and in the flap (20).
13. An electric vacuum cleaner (84) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the end of the air connection end-piece (92) is of conical shape.

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