EP2033558A2 - Upright vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The cleaner (1) has an upper body (3) with a dust collector, and a base unit (2) moved on a surface to be cleaned by a chassis. A motor blower is arranged in the base unit and produces negative pressure on the surface. The upper body and the base unit are pivoted with respect to each other around an axis that is horizontal in a using condition. A rigid fork-type canal component circulates a part of air from the base unit to the upper body and ensures tiltable storage of the upper body with respect to the base unit.

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner Upright type with an upper body with dust collection container, which is equipped with a handle, with a ground unit, which is movable by a chassis on the surface to be cleaned, and with an arranged in the ground unit engine fan to produce a vacuum to be sucked surface, wherein the upper body and bottom unit are formed to each other about a horizontal axis in use pivotally.

The following describes three types of vacuum cleaner that differ in their construction and operation. As common features all have a motor-driven blower, a dust collection room and one or more adapted to the particular purpose tillage equipment.

The vacuum cleaner has a housing which is movable on rollers and / or skids on the ground to be processed. In the housing, the engine fan and the dust collector are arranged. The soil treatment device - here called floor nozzle - is connected via a suction hose, possibly with an intermediate suction pipe, with the dust collection chamber. The housing is brought into the desired position during the suction process by pulling on the suction tube.

In the hand vacuum cleaner, the motor fan and the dust collector are also arranged in a housing. From the housing extends on one side of a suction pipe, which connects a floor nozzle with the dust collector, and on the other hand, a handle with which the housing is maneuvered into the desired position.

Uprights do not have such a rigorous structure as the two types mentioned above. An essential feature of an upright is a movable floor unit, which carries a torso with a large dust collector. The two parts are pivotally mounted to each other and usually fixable in a parking position in which the upper body is approximately vertical when the ground unit is in the use position on a horizontal ground. In this position, the upright is automatic. During the suction process, this locking is released and tilted the upper body by a certain angle in a working position. The swivel angle depends on the one hand on the size of the user and on the other hand from the respective use. A handle on the upper body is used to guide the entire device. The engine fan may be located at various locations. It is for example from the WO 2007/008770 A2 known to hold the blower directly to the upper body. This worsens the ease of use, because this heavy component a moment caused by the tipping point, which the user must counteract throughout the suction process. Another disadvantage of the upright according to WO 2007/008770 A2 is that it is difficult to move from a straight direction in curved paths. From the WO 2004/014209 A1 and from the EP 0 708 613 A1 It is known to form the blower as a separate unit. Through a pivot point between the upper body and the upper area of the blower ( EP 0 708 613 A1 ) or by the mounting of the blower in a rotatable, spherical housing ( WO 2004/014209 A1 ), improved maneuverability is achieved because the upright is now able to perform cornering movements. In order to achieve the required Hepa quality for vacuum cleaners in vacuum cleaners, an exhaust filter must be located behind the blower motor, which is able to retain the finest particles. Due to the movable mounting of the fan, these filters must be arranged either in the upper body or in the area of the ground unit in the above-mentioned uprights. It is very difficult to make the air flow from the blower to the filter so tight that the finest particles do not escape there already.

Uprights are known in which the engine fan is arranged in the ground unit. In these, the articulated connection between the floor unit and the upper body by a hinge-like structure. The air is routed through flexible hoses that extend from the floor unit to the upper body. These touch when cornering the Uight sharp-edged corners and can be easily damaged. In addition, they are difficult to install, cost-causing components dar.

The invention thus raises the problem to improve a vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned in that it has a robust, yet simple and easy to manufacture structure.

According to the invention this problem is solved by a vacuum cleaner with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention will become apparent from the following subclaims.

The achievable with the invention advantages result from the fact that a part of the air flow from the bottom unit to the upper body by a rigid fork-shaped channel member which ensures the pivotal mounting of the upper body to the ground unit in addition to the air guide. The functional equality of the air path and the mechanical support results in a space-saving, easy-to-manufacture, yet solid construction. By an additional rotation axis, a turn-tilt joint is formed so that the bottom unit can be moved by turning the upper body or a handle attached to it also around curves. For this purpose, the channel component in addition to the pivotable allows a rotatable mounting of the upper body to the moving ground unit.

It is also advantageous if the two air lines are combined in the ends of the channel component in the transition region to the upper body to form a coaxial line. This solves the problem of the arrangement of two separate air ducts in the region of a rotary joint in a simple manner.

Figuren 1 bis 6

den erfindungsgemäßen Staubsauger in verschiedenen Gesamtansichten;

Figur 7

die Bodeneinheit des Staubsaugers in Explosionsdarstellung;

Figur 8

den Oberkörper des Staubsaugers in Explosionsdarstellung;

Figur 9, 9a

die Gabel und Teile der Bodeneinheit des Staubsaugers nach Figur 1 im Längsschnitt;

Figur 10, 11

die Gabel als Einzelheit in perspektivischen Darstellungen;

Figur 12

eine Explosionsdarstellung der Staubsauger-Bauteile im Bereich des Drehgelenks in der Sicht von unten;

Figur 13

die Gabel-Oberschale mit Lagergehäuse und Dichtung;

Figur 14

die Oberkörper-Rückwand von unten

Figuren 15 und 16

Querschnitte durch den Staubsauger im Bereich des Drehgelenks.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. It shows

FIGS. 1 to 6

the vacuum cleaner according to the invention in various overall views;

FIG. 7

the bottom unit of the vacuum cleaner in an exploded view;

FIG. 8

the upper body of the vacuum cleaner in an exploded view;

Figure 9, 9a

the fork and parts of the floor unit of the vacuum cleaner after FIG. 1 in longitudinal section;

FIG. 10, 11

the fork as a detail in perspective representations;

FIG. 12

an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner components in the area of the rotary joint in the view from below;

FIG. 13

the fork upper shell with bearing housing and seal;

FIG. 14

the upper body back wall from below

FIGS. 15 and 16

Cross sections through the vacuum cleaner in the area of the swivel joint.

The in the FIGS. 1 to 6 Upright vacuum cleaner shown in various views, hereinafter referred to as Upright 1, consists essentially of a bottom unit 2, an upper body 3 and a joint arranged therebetween, which will be described later.

The upright 1 can from an upright position (see FIGS. 1 to 3 ), in which he is latched and then stands free, after releasing the locking (see FIG. 7 ) into a tilted ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and even in a fully extended position ( FIG. 6 ) to be brought. For this purpose, ground unit 2 and upper body 3 are a horizontal axis X in use (see FIG FIG. 5 ) mounted to each other pivotally. The joint, which allows the pivoting movement, is referred to below as a tilting joint. In addition, the upright in the tilted position, as well as in FIG. 5 shown rotated about an axis Y. By rotating the upper body 3 by means of the appliance handle 4 about this axis and simultaneously pushing or pulling the upright, the user can control the floor unit 2 around curves. The corresponding joint is referred to in the text as a hinge.

The ground unit 2, in FIG. 7 shown in exploded view, comprises a housing, which is formed by a housing insert 5, a rear housing lower part 6, a front housing lower part 7, a bumper strip 8 and a cover part 9. The housing insert 5 acts as a carrier for a number of electrical and mechanical components, including the aforementioned housing parts are attached to it. It forms with the rear housing lower part 6 with the interposition of an engine compartment seal 10, a space for receiving an engine blower 11, which generates the vacuum necessary for suction operation. On the suction side, a sealing ring 13 is arranged around the fan inlet 12, which is also supported on the two aforementioned housing parts 5 and 6. On the opposite side rubber buffer 14 are inserted. For deep cleaning of carpets protrudes into the suction port 15, an opening in the front housing lower part 7 and the base plate 16 attached thereto, a brushing roller 17 which is resiliently mounted on two lateral wings 18 and 19 and driven by a brush motor 20 via a belt 21. The parts 22 and 23 represent a two-piece belt cover. The brush motor 20 is also secured to the housing insert 5, the rockers 18 and 19 are pivotally mounted there. The two housing bases 6 and 7 carry the chassis of the upright, which is formed of front wheels 24 and 25 and rear wheels 26 and 27. The rear wheels 26 and 27 are connected to stabilize by means of an axle 28 and adjustable via a respective wheel mechanism 29 and 30 in their position. To illuminate the driveway on the housing insert 5, a board 31 is attached to LED's 32, which is covered to the front by a lens 33. The viewing window 33 is held in a recess 34 in the bumper 8.

The air generated by the engine fan 11 is blown through an opening 35 in the housing insert 5 and a corresponding opening 36 in the cover part 9 in the environment. In the opening 36, a filter frame 37 is used, which receives a not shown exhaust filter for cleaning the air blown out of fines. The filter frame 37 is covered by a grid receptacle 38 and a grid 39 in the cover part 9 and is interchangeable from there.

Both the tilting joint and the pivot joint between the base unit 2 and the upper body 3 described later are formed by a rigid, fork-shaped channel component. This component also includes parts of the air duct from the suction port 15 to the upper body 3 and the air guide from the upper body 3 to the exhaust opening (openings 35 and 36). The component is referred to below as fork 40 and is in the Figures 10 and 12 as a detail and in the FIGS. 9 and 9a shown in the installation position. It consists of two plastic parts, an upper shell 41 and a lower shell 42, which are interconnected by welding. To realize the tilting joint, the two ends 43 (right) and 44 (left) of the fork 40 are pivotally mounted in recesses 45 and 46 provided for this purpose, to avoid abrasion, they are respectively surrounded by metallic bushings 47 and 48. The left in the direction of travel fork 44 is designed as hollow and coupled via a seal 49 with the blower inlet 12. At the right in the direction of travel fork 43 a bearing pin 50 is formed. It also has an opening 51 which is connected via an elastic tube 52 to the suction port 15. To deny the inside of the bottom unit 2 when tilting the upper body 3, the Connection region of the two fork ends 43 and 44, hereinafter referred to as a fork web 53, surrounded by a front cover 54 and a rear cover 55 on the bottom unit 2, which perform the pivoting movement of the fork 40 with. The space between the front and rear cover and the housing insert 5 is bridged by aperture 56 and 57. At the left fork end 44, the first 58 of two cable channels 58 and 59 is attached. Furthermore, the fork ends 43 and 44 carry toothed segments 60 and 61 which cooperate with the wheel mechanisms 29 and 30. At the fork web 53, a trim cover 62 is attached to a connection cable, not shown. To keep the upright in the upright position ( FIGS. 1 to 3 ), a stepping lever 63 is mounted on the housing insert 5, which engages in this position in the left fork end 44 and thus prevents the pivoting movement of the fork 40. By depressing the lever 63, the locking position can be released. In the latched position is also prevented by two spring-loaded bolts 64 and 65 a rotational movement. The air ducts, which are formed by the fork ends 43 and 44, are combined in the region of the fork web 53 to a first portion 66 of a coaxial line.

FIG. 8 shows the upper body 3, also in exploded view. Carrying component of the upper body 3 is a rear wall 67. It forms the rear portion of the dust chamber 68, which in turn receives a filter bag, not shown in the drawing. The edge of the dust chamber 68 is surrounded by a seal 69, the side of a cover strip 70 is fixed for cables, not shown. In the lower area a hinge bearing 71 is attached to the rear wall 67. The dust chamber 68 is closed at the front by an upper housing part 72, which is articulated via hinges 73 and torsion springs 74 pivotally mounted on the hinge bearing 71. The upper part 72 carries a closure 75, a dust bag receptacle 76 and a filter change indicator 77. It also disguises the hinge bearing 71. In the upper part, the rear wall 67 carries the electronics 78 of Uprights, which is completely arranged on a receptacle 79 and as pre-tested component component is mounted. On the recording, a lever 81 for switching off the brush motor 20 is arranged via a torsion spring 80. In addition, it provides the holder for the handle tube 82 with the device handle 4. The electronics 78 is covered by a cap 84, which also serves for attachment to various controls and display elements and their accessories (lens 85, knob 86).

An elaborate air duct ensures that dirt-laden air can either be sucked in via the suction mouth in the floor unit or via a telescopic tube with possibly connected suction attachments such as crevice nozzle, furniture brush, upholstery nozzle, etc. For this purpose, the suction air from the suction port 15 via the elastic tube 52 and the right fork end 43 through the inner tube of the first portion 66 of the coaxial line in the fork web 53 into the inner tube of a second section 87 of the coaxial line. This section 87 is continued in the rear wall 67 and there again separated into two separate lines. The further air path leads through a Saugkanalstück 88 in a manifold 89. In the manifold 89 is loosely - and therefore removable - a telescopic tube 90 inserted, which passes via a pipe handle 91 in a flexible suction hose 92. The suction hose 92 is held in a receptacle 93 provided therefor, as well as in FIG. 3 is recognizable. Via a pivoting arc 94, the air enters a channel which extends over the entire length of the rear wall 67. The channel is formed from the rear wall 67 itself and an attached air duct piece 95. Subsequently, an arcuate neck 96, which consists of the rear wall 67 and partly of the electronic receptacle 79, the dirt-laden suction air in the area of the dust bag receptacle 76 and there in a dust bag, not shown. After the suction air has flowed through the dust bag in the dust chamber and has been cleaned of dust, it passes through a motor protection filter - in the figure, only the frame 97 is shown for holding the filter - in the outer ring of the second portion 87 of the coaxial line and from there the first section 66 via the left fork 44 to the engine fan 11th

In the FIG. 8 are also shown in the lower part of the components that serve for attachment and rotatable mounting of the upper body 3 to the fork 40. The first section 66 of the coaxial line is surrounded by an injected metal ring 98, which projects beyond the outer diameter of this section 66 and which is enclosed in two bearing shells 99 and 100, respectively. The bearing shells 99 and 100 are connected to the upper body 3. Thus, metal ring 98 and bearing shells 99 and 100 form the pivot of Uprights 1. In the connection of the upper body 3 and fork 40, the two sections 66 and 87 of the coaxial line with the interposition of a seal 101 are assembled.

In FIG. 9 is the engine fan 11 recognizable, which is inserted into the rear housing lower part 6 and is covered by the housing insert 5. As already described above allows the engine compartment seal 10 due to their H-profile an airtight connection of these two parts. On the suction side of the blower inlet 12 around the sealing ring 13 is arranged, which is also supported on the two aforementioned housing parts 5 and 6. The enlarged view in FIG. 9a shows that the housing insert 5 is expanded in the region of the fan inlet 12 into a sleeve-shaped projection 501. As a result, joints of the two housing parts are avoided in this area. The right in the direction of travel (out of the plane) fork end 43 (in the FIG. 9 shown on the left), as described above, designed as a journal and bordered by a metallic bushing 47. It is absorbed by a closed bearing seat, which is formed during assembly of the rear housing lower part 6 through the recess 45 and a corresponding counterpart 103 of the housing insert 5. In the FIG. 9 is also the opening 51 recognizable, in which the leading to the suction mouth 15 hose piece (s. FIG. 7 ) is plugged. The left in the direction of travel fork 44 (in the FIG. 9 shown on the right) forms both the air flow from the upper body to the suction side of the blower 11 (fan inlet 12) and the pivot point of the tilting joint. It is therefore made hollow and provided at the end with a seal 49. The seal 49 bears against the projection 501 and ensures an airtight transition between the blower 11 and the fork end 44. In this way, a high suction force can be achieved. The storage takes place as in the right fork end by a bearing bush 48 which is received by a bearing seat (recesses 46 and 104). The pivot axis X extends in the axis of symmetry of the engine blower 11, it is shown as a dashed line 102.

The FIGS. 9 to 11 also show the fork web 52, in which the two air lines 105 and 106 from the fork ends 43 and 44 unite to form a first portion 66 of a coaxial line. This is especially true in the Figures 9 and 10 good to see. The air line 105, which is formed by the right fork end 43, is passed as an inner tube 107 in the upper body 3. This tube 107 has a large flow cross-section, which can easily pass the dirt-laden air and larger parts sucked. The line 106, which is formed by the left fork end 44, encloses the inner tube 107 in the fork web 53 and is guided as an outer ring 108 in the upper body 3. This is expedient because the transported air is already cleaned and therefore can be passed through this area with a smaller flow cross-section.

The FIGS. 12 to 16 show the transition region from the fork 40 to the upper body 3 in different representations. It goes without saying that the connection between the fork web 53 on the upper shell 41 and the rear wall 67 takes place only when the two assemblies ground unit 2 and upper body 3 are completely assembled. The outer tube 106 of the Koaxialleitungs section on the fork web 53 is, as already described above, surrounded by an injected metal ring 98, the FIG. 10 shows the outer tube with the ring 98 in the installation situation. First, the coaxial seal 101 is placed on the inner tube 105 and the outer ring 106. Subsequently, the two bearing shells 99 and 100 are connected by screws, not shown around the outer tube 106 and the metal ring 98 together to form a bearing housing 111. A plug 109 with cables leading to the electrical loads in the ground unit is latched into a plug receptacle 110 on the upper bearing shell 99. FIG. 13 shows the upper shell 41 - mentally this is to supplement the other components of the floor unit 2 - after the completion of these assembly steps. Due to its dimensions, the bearing housing 111 can be rotated around the outer ring 106 and the metal ring 98 around, thus resulting in a rotation axis Y, which in the FIGS. 12 to 16 is shown as dashed line 112.

From the exploded view in FIG. 12 , the detail of a part of the back wall in FIG. 14 and the cuts in the FIGS. 15 and 16 It can be seen that the coaxial line portion 66 from the fork 40 (see FIG. 13 ) is continued by a second section 87 in the rear wall 67. Also there, an inner tube 113 is surrounded by an outer ring 114. The area around the section 87 is surrounded by a receiving space 115, which by the in FIG. 14 dashed lines shown wall 116 is generated. After the above-described assembly steps, the bottom unit with the complete bearing housing 111 is positively inserted into the receiving space 115. The cuts, in particular FIG. 15 also show that the bearing housing 111 and the receiving space 115 are conical. As a result, a conical connection is created between these two parts, in which adjusts an interference fit. Such a compound is particularly suitable for absorbing the forces that arise when tilting and rotating the upper body 3 and transmitted via the fork 40 to the bottom unit 2. Screws are used for additional securing of the connection. When inserting the bearing housing 111 into the receiving space 115, the plug 109 engages with a plug housing 117. Thus, when joining the bottom unit 2 and upper body 3, both a mechanical and an electrical connection of these two parts takes place.

The two inner tubes 107 and 113 and also the two outer rings 108 and 114 of the Koaxialleitungs sections 66 and 87 are connected to each other via the seal 101, which in each case has H-shaped cross-sections. The above-described storage is defined so that the distance between the ends of the outer rings 108 and 114 and the inner tubes 107 and 113 in the mounted state is greater than the width of the arranged between the tube ends webs 118 of the H-seal 101. As a result, no bearing forces act on the seal 101. The two sections 66 and 87 can therefore be rotated freely against each other, it results in only a slight resistance by the contact forces of the sealing walls 119. The arrangement of the bearing housing 111 outside the air duct whose exposure to dirt from the suction air is excluded.

Claims (3)

Vacuum cleaner (1) of the upright type with an upper body (3) with a dust collecting container, with a floor unit (2) which is movable on the surface to be cleaned by a chassis, and with an engine fan (11) arranged in the floor unit (2). for producing a negative pressure acting on the surface to be sucked, wherein upper body (3) and base unit (2) are designed such that they can pivot relative to each other about a horizontal axis (X) in use condition,
characterized,
that part of the air flow from the base unit (2) to the upper body (3) by a rigid fork-shaped channel member (40) takes place, which ensures not only the air guide the pivotable mounting of the upper body (3) to the base unit (2). Upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 2,
characterized,
that the channel component next to the pivotable ensures a rotatable mounting of the upper body (3) to the ground unit (2), wherein the rotatable mounting allows a change of direction of the moving ground unit (2) by rotating the upper body (3). Upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 or 3,
characterized,
that the two air ducts (105) in the ends (43, 44) of the channel member (40) are combined in the transition region to the upper body (3) to a coaxial line.

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