EP1618822A1 - Brush attachment for domestic suction cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The testing apparatus (1) has a suction box (2) connected to a vacuum cleaner (3) and closed by a plate (5) and a cap (7) on a tube (6) to which the brush head is fitted. A manometer (4) measures the vacuum pressure. The pressure difference with and without the brush head is a measure of the efficiency of the system.

Description

The invention relates to a brush attachment for household vacuum cleaner with
a suction head having a brush roller chamber with a bottom suction port, a pivotable port for a suction pipe, and a suction port connecting the brush roller chamber to the suction port, and
a rotatably driven in the brush roller chamber and rotatably driven brush roller.

Brush attachments with the features described above are known in practice. Concerning the vacuum cleaners for which the brush attachments are made, there is a desire to sustainably reduce energy consumption.

Against this background, the present invention seeks to provide a brush attachment with the features described above, which is characterized by good suction even at a low provided by the vacuum cleaner suction.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the suction head in a leak test at a pressure loss of less than 10 mbar, the leak test with a according to EN 60312, version April 2001, standardized test device with hermetically sealed suction and a preset test vacuum of 100 mbar is carried out and for generating the negative pressure in the tester, a specific for the suction head household vacuum cleaner is used. Preferably, the pressure loss is less than 8 mbar, and more preferably less than 5 mbar.

The invention is based on the finding that in energy-saving vacuum cleaners with low suction power, the leaks of a suction head over a corresponding loss of air flow much more negative negative impact as in vacuum cleaners with high suction power. The brush attachments known in the prior art show in the aforementioned test conditions pressure losses between 17 and 64 mbar, with an accumulation in the range of 30 to 60 mbar. Provided a high suction power, in these known devices, the loss of suction due to leaks can be compensated by the cleaning action of the brush roller. However, this is no longer the case with vacuum cleaners with low suction power, so that here the high pressure loss is not acceptable. The suction head is composed of several parts, which are partially fixed together and partially relatively movable connected to each other. The compounds are to be formed so dense that the pressure loss according to the invention of less than 10 mbar is achieved. By the present invention very dense formed brush attachment is still guaranteed a satisfactory cleaning effect even with small suction power of the household vacuum cleaner.

The brush roller may be driven by an electric motor or by a turbine rotating in the suction air flow. In brush attachments, which have a turbine for driving the brush roller, in general, even a deliberately generated leakage in the form of rigid or operable secondary air openings is provided. These secondary air openings are used to ensure a sufficiently large air volume flow for the drive of the turbine and thus the brush roller even when sucking carpets with dense pile. However, when using low suction vacuum cleaners, this design is unacceptable because the air drawn in by the secondary air openings consumes too much of the suction power. According to the invention therefore another approach by using a particularly dense brush attachment, which achieves the desired cleaning effect even with low vacuum cleaner performance.

There are a variety of ways to ensure the described low pressure loss in the brush attachment according to the invention. For example, care can be taken in the construction of the brush attachment that a particularly small number of the smallest possible sealing surfaces between the individual components of the suction head is provided. Furthermore, the pressure loss can be minimized by an exact vote of the sealing surfaces to each other. Especially with large components, it may be advantageous to provide seals of an elastomeric material between the individual sealing surfaces, for example in the form of bumpers. To reduce the pressure loss, it may also be expedient to construct the construction of several components existing suction head of the brush attachment so that the number of components which form the outer flow wall for the air flow flowing through, is minimized. The suction head may also have a flow through the suction air flow elastic hose or bellows, which connects the housing of the suction head with the pivotally mounted thereon Saugrohranschluss. Alternatively, then the suction pipe connection sealing lips made of an elastomeric material which abut sealing surfaces of the hinge connection.

Fig. 1a, b

eine der europäischen Norm EN 60312 entsprechende Prüfvorrichtung zur Bestimmung des Druckverlustes,

Fig. 2

ein erfindungsgemäßes Bürstenvorsatzgerät,

Fig. 3 und 4

weitere Ausführungsformen der Erfindung und

Fig. 5

ein Diagramm, welches den Druckverlust eines erfindungsgemäßen Bürstenvorsatzgerätes im Vergleich zum Stand der Technik darstellt.

In the following the invention will be explained in detail with reference to a drawing showing only one embodiment. They show schematically:

Fig. 1a, b

one of the European standard EN 60312 corresponding test device for determining the pressure loss,

Fig. 2

a brush attachment according to the invention,

3 and 4

further embodiments of the invention and

Fig. 5

a diagram illustrating the pressure loss of a brush attachment according to the invention compared to the prior art.

berechnet.1a and 1b show a European standard EN 60312 in the version of April 2001 corresponding test device 1 for determining pressure losses in suction cups. The test apparatus 1 has a measuring box 2 in the form of a hollow cube with an edge length of approximately 500 mm × 500 mm × 500 mm. The measuring box 2 has a nozzle for connecting a vacuum cleaner 3 for generating a negative pressure in the measuring box 2. To the measuring box 2, a pressure measuring device 4 is connected to determine the pressure loss. According to the embodiment B of said European standard, a diaphragm 5 is provided on the measuring box 2, which, however, is completely closed in the leak test mentioned in claim 1, which is described in detail below, ie the diaphragm diameter is d = 0 mm. The measuring box 2 further has a connecting piece for a suction pipe 6, to which a brush attachment to be tested can be connected. The structure shown in Fig. 1 a is used to set the preset test vacuum of 100 mbar, which is achieved via a corresponding adjustment of the suction blower power of the connected vacuum cleaner 3. In this calibration attempt, the suction pipe 6 connected to the measuring box 2 is hermetically sealed at the end with a cap 7. As soon as the pressure measuring device 4 indicates a stationary pressure p ₁ = P _environment -100 mbar, the calibration attempt can be ended, where P _{ambient designates} the ambient air pressure outside the measuring chamber. Subsequently, with the blower output set the same, the connected one Vacuum cleaner removes the cap 7 at the end of the suction tube 6 and pushed to perform the leak test instead a brush attachment according to the invention to the end of the suction tube 6. The brush attachment shown by way of example in FIGS. 2 to 4 comprises a suction head 8 which has a brush roller chamber 9 with a bottom-side suction opening 10, a pivotable connection 11 for the suction pipe 6 and a suction channel 12 connecting the brush roll chamber 9 to the suction pipe connection 11. The Saugrohranschluss 11 is pivotally inserted into the housing 23 of the suction head 8 and forms with the housing 23 a Kippgelenkverbindung 21. The brush attachment has a rotatably mounted in the brush roller chamber 9 and rotatably driven brush roller 13 and is further equipped with rollers 14. In the structure shown in Fig. 1 b for performing the leak test, the suction port 10 is hermetically sealed by a corresponding attachment 15. With unchanged setting of the suction fan of the connected to the measuring box 2 vacuum cleaner 3, the adjusting in the measuring box 2 test pressure p ₂ is now measured, wherein the pressure loss Ap of the suction head 8 from the difference $$\mathrm{Ap}={\mathrm{p}}_2-{\mathrm{p}}_1={\mathrm{p}}_2-{\mathrm{p}}_{\mathrm{Surroundings}}+100\mathrm{mbar}$$

calculated.

The suction head 8 of the brush attachment, which was stored for at least two hours at the outside of the measuring box 2 prevailing ambient temperature T _environment prior to performing the test, as shown in FIG. 1 b, is pivoted back and forth during the leak test by corresponding pivoting movements of the suction pipe connection 11 (see. also Fig. 2). The highest measured value p ₂ found during the test is used to calculate the pressure loss Δp, which at a Brush attachment according to the invention is less than 10 mbar. The vacuum cleaner 3 connected to the measuring box 2 for generating the negative pressure is a household vacuum cleaner, which is intended for the brush attachment to be tested and to which the suction pipe connection 11 of the examined suction head 8 can be connected.

Figs. 2 to 4 show various embodiments of the brush attachment according to the invention. The suction channel 12 each includes a turbine chamber 16, in which a turbine 17 rotatably driven by the suction air flow is rotatably mounted, which serves to drive the brush roller 13 via a belt 18. In these so-called turbo brush attachments, leaks have a negative impact even in two respects. On the one hand, the negative pressure and thus the suction air flow at the intake opening 10 are reduced by the leakage. However, it is also disadvantageous that the drive power of the turbine 17 and thus the cleaning effect of the brush roller 13 are reduced due to the reduced suction air flow. Accordingly, the particularly low pressure loss according to the invention has a positive effect on the cleaning effect of turbo brush attachments in two respects. From Fig. 2 it can be seen that at the abutting surfaces of the individual components of the suction head, which are acted upon by the suction air, seals 19 made of an elastomeric material, for. B. a bumper, are provided. FIG. 3 shows a suction head 8 with an elastic bellows 20 through which the suction air flow flows, which connects the housing 23 with the suction pipe connection 11 mounted pivotably on it. In this case, the bellows 20 surrounds the turbine 17. In this way, a pressure loss due to leaks between the sliding surfaces of the articulated connection 21 is effectively prevented. Instead of the bellows 20 and an elastic hose may be provided. In Fig. 4, the suction pipe 11 is provided with sealing lips 22 made of an elastomeric material, which bear against sealing surfaces of the joint 21.

Fig. 5 shows the determined under the specified test conditions pressure loss of a brush attachment according to the invention compared to the prior art. Show it
the map A the working area, fall into the inventively designed brush attachments,
the map B is the area in which brush attachments of the prior art fall whose brush roller is driven by an electric motor,
the map C is the area in which brush attachments of the prior art fall whose brush roller is driven by an air turbine,
the map D is the area in which prior art brush attachments fall for pad surfaces whose brush roller is driven by an air turbine.

The maps B to D do not show the range of a single brush attachment but illustrate the area in which fall under the standardized test conditions determined pressure losses of known brush attachments. Charts B and C refer to brush attachments for cleaning floor surfaces. While the brush attachment according to the invention has a pressure drop of less than 10 mbar at a preset test vacuum of 100 mbar, the corresponding values of the brush attachments known from the prior art are significantly higher.

Claims (3)

Brush attachment for household vacuum cleaner (3) with
a suction head (8) having a brush roller chamber (9) with a bottom suction port (10), a pivotable port (11) for a suction tube (6) and a suction channel connecting the brush roller chamber (9) with the suction port (11), and
one in the brush roller chamber (9) rotatably mounted and rotatably driven brush roller (13),
characterized in that the suction head in a leak test has a pressure drop Δp of less than 10 mbar, the leak test with a according to EN 60312, version April 2001, standardized test device (1) at a preset test vacuum of 100 mbar and airtight suction port ( 10) is carried out and wherein for the generation of the negative pressure in the testing device for the suction head (8) of certain household vacuum cleaner (3) is used. Brush attachment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the suction head (8) has an elastic hose or bellows (20) through which the suction air flow passes, which housing (23) of the suction head (8) is pivotally mounted on the housing (23). 11) connects. Brush attachment according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction pipe connection (11) sealing lips (22) made of an elastomeric material, which bear against sealing surfaces of the hinge connection (21).

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