EP2659822B1 - Vacuum cleaner with fan that is decoupled from the vacuum cleaner housing - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a vacuum cleaner housing and a blower.

Background of the invention

Vacuum cleaners with a blower are known in practice. In this case, a negative pressure is generated by a fan, which causes dust-laden air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner and then deposited in a Staubabscheideeinrichtung. The dust-free air then passes through a fan protection filter in the fan and is ejected back into the room air. The mechanical vibrations of the blower are thereby at least partially transmitted to the vacuum cleaner housing of the vacuum cleaner and can lead to a noise pollution of the environment of the vacuum cleaner.

The European patent EP 0 528 451 B1 , published in German translation as DE 69219243 T2 discloses a blower arrangement of a vacuum cleaner with an electric blower, which is provided at the front and back of the electric blower with installed vibration absorbing means to absorb the vibrations generated during the high rotational speeds of the electric blower. Further, the electric blower is provided with noise suppressing means for shielding the noise so that noise from the electric blower is prevented from propagating to the outside, the noise dampening means comprising an intermediate case installed around a motor portion of the electric blower and a blower housing. In addition, the electric blower is provided with a flow path changing means for bending and expanding a few times the air flow discharged from the electric blower. In this case, the intermediate housing has an open front side and the Durchflungsweg-changing means is provided with a first L-shaped curved flow path section, a U-shaped curved flow path section and a S-shaped curved flow path section, these sections lead the air from outflow openings of the electric blower through the front to outlet openings of the blower housing, wherein the U-shaped curved portion has a flow cross-sectional area larger than that of the exhaust ports, and the outlet port has a flow cross-sectional area larger than that of the U-shaped curved portion. In addition, the fan assembly includes noise absorbing means for suppressing the noise by absorbing the noise traveling with the air flow through the flow path.

From the patent DE 733 678 B1 a pot vacuum cleaner is known, the engine fan unit is spring-mounted, thereby reducing the noise transmission from the engine fan unit. In order to additionally reduce the noise radiation, a slot of variable width is formed between a screen surrounding the engine fan unit and the edge of a blade on the engine fan unit through which the suction air can escape. The width of the slot is the smaller, the further the motor fan unit is attracted with increasing negative pressure against the air inlet opening of the fan.

The patent DE 733 678 B1 also discloses a vacuum cleaner with a spring-mounted engine blower unit. In operation, the engine blower unit is raised under the influence of the negative pressure, whereby the resilient suspension is relieved and another spring means for guiding the unit is put into operation.

The international patent application WO 2010/051930 A1 relates to a vacuum cleaner having a housing with an inlet and an outlet and a housing arranged in the motor and fan unit, which is adapted to a suction flow through the inlet of the housing, through the motor and fan unit and through the outlet of the housing produce. The vacuum cleaner further comprises holding means for holding the motor and blower unit to the housing and sealing means adapted to lead the suction flow from the inlet of the housing in a sealed manner into the motor and blower unit. The holding means are adapted to the transmission of in the Motor fan unit to prevent vibrations to the housing caused by the holding means in an elastic manner to respond to forces of the motor-blower unit and hold the motor-blower unit to the housing. The sealing means are adapted to prevent the transmission of vibrations generated in the motor-blower unit to the housing, by the sealing means responsively reacting to forces of the motor-blower unit.

The problem underlying the invention

The invention has for its object to provide an improved vacuum cleaner.

Inventive solution

The solution of the object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner with the features of claim 1. The blower of the vacuum cleaner according to the invention includes a motor and a motor associated with the paddle wheel, which serves for conveying air from an air inlet to an air outlet. Such a fan is often referred to as an engine fan unit. The engine is preferably an electrically powered engine.

The blower is movably mounted in the vacuum cleaner housing. The term "lifting the fan of the vacuum cleaner housing" is to be understood according to the invention that a contact surface between the blower and the vacuum cleaner housing is reduced or eliminated by the lifting.

By lifting is advantageously achieved that the power transmission of the blower to the vacuum cleaner housing after lifting is smaller than before lifting. In particular, it can be achieved by the invention that after lifting to a lesser extent than before vibrations of the blower are transmitted to the vacuum cleaner housing. In other words, by lifting a decoupling of the fan takes place from the vacuum cleaner housing. This makes it possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that transmits less vibration to the air and other media in its environment and thus represents a lower noise pollution.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

Advantageous embodiments and developments, which can be used individually or in combination with each other, are the subject of the dependent claims.

During operation of a fan, a pressure difference develops in such a way that a negative pressure is created at the air inlet of the fan and an overpressure at the air outlet. Air inlet and outlet are openings located in the outer shell of the fan. In the present invention, the side of the fan at which the Air inlet is located, referred to as A side. The opposite side of the fan is called B-side.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting is effected by a pressure difference. This allows the blower to be raised particularly effectively. Particularly preferably, the pressure difference is produced by the blower. Advantageously, the vacuum cleaner can be designed to be particularly simple, since the fan anyway builds up a pressure difference during operation of the vacuum cleaner to promote dust-laden air in the vacuum cleaner. This avoids having to provide another source of pressure differential.

In one embodiment, it is preferable that a displacement of the fan relative to the vacuum cleaner housing caused by the lifting is at least 0.5 mm. Thus, a particularly good decoupling of blower and vacuum cleaner housing can be achieved. Particularly preferably, the displacement is at least 1 mm, more preferably at least 2 mm and most preferably at least 3 mm. At the same time, the displacement is at most 10 mm, preferably at most 7 mm, particularly preferably at most 5 mm and very particularly preferably at most 4 mm. It is particularly preferred if the displacement is at least as great as the amplitude of the vibration of the blower in the direction of the vacuum cleaner housing. This makes it possible to reduce the vibration transmission from the fan to the vacuum cleaner housing or even completely prevent it. Thus, advantageously, a reduction of the noise of the vacuum cleaner can be realized.

In a preferred embodiment, an elastic body is compressed when lifted. The preferred elastic body comprises an elastomer. Particularly preferably, the elastic body consists of the elastomer. However, embodiments of the invention are also included in which the elastic body comprises other materials or consists of other materials, for example spring steel. Also, a plurality of elastic body may be provided. Thus, if the term "elastic body" is used, such embodiments should always be regarded as addressed in which a plurality of such elastic bodies are provided. By using the elastic body leaves the preferred mobility of the fan in the vacuum cleaner housing realize technically particularly simple.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is preferred that the fan is connected to the vacuum cleaner housing via the elastic body. Thus, it is possible that the fan is movably mounted in the vacuum cleaner housing. More preferably, the elastic body is attached to the A-side of the fan. This allows the fan to be moved particularly easily in the direction of the negative pressure which arises during operation on the air inlet on the A side. If the elastic body is compressed and thereby the fan is lifted, it may be that the vibration transmission from the fan via the elastic body to the body connected to the part of the vacuum cleaner housing increases. It is therefore particularly preferred that the elastic body is attached to a particularly stable and low-vibration part of the vacuum cleaner housing.

The preferred vacuum cleaner housing includes a core and an outer wall, the outer wall surrounding the core. A particularly stable and low-vibration part may be, for example, the core of the vacuum cleaner housing. The elastic body may, for example, be attached to the core of the vacuum cleaner housing so that the fan moves away from the outer wall of the vacuum cleaner housing by lifting. This is particularly advantageous because the outer wall of the vacuum cleaner housing is often the part of the vacuum cleaner housing which is particularly easy to vibrate and which is particularly easy to transmit its vibrations to the surrounding air. By lifting the fan of the outer wall thus the noise level can be reduced.

In a preferred embodiment, the elastic body is connected to a seal between the air inlet of the blower and the vacuum cleaner housing, forms part of such a seal or even forms the entire seal. Thus, on the one hand, a sealing effect of the fan relative to the vacuum cleaner housing can be ensured and, on the other hand, the vacuum cleaner housing can be lifted off in the direction of the A side. In the preferred case that the elastic body forms the entire seal, advantageously no implementation of the invention is possible additional component needed. On the side of the blower, where the contact surface is reduced, an elastic element is attached. Particularly preferably, the elastic element is located on the B side of the blower. In this way, an undesirable freedom of movement of the fan on the side from which it can be lifted, can be avoided. Thus it can be achieved that in the resting state of the device with shocks, such as occur when transporting the vacuum cleaner, the fan does not slip in the vacuum cleaner housing and the fan and / or the vacuum cleaner housing are damaged. The elastic element can sit, for example, in the resting state in a receptacle of the vacuum cleaner housing. Such a receptacle may be, for example, funnel-shaped, so that when the vacuum cleaner is turned off and the fan is lowered, the fan assumes its rest position without being able to tilt and tensions on the vacuum cleaner housing occur.

The preferred elastic member comprises an elastomer. Particularly preferably, the elastic element consists of the elastomer. However, embodiments of the invention are also included in which the elastic element comprises other materials or consists of other materials, for example spring steel. Also, a plurality of elastic elements may be provided. Thus, when the term "the" elastic element is mentioned, it is always intended to refer to those embodiments in which a plurality of such elastic elements are provided.

In one embodiment it is preferred that the fan is arranged upright in the vacuum cleaner. This means that in the position of the vacuum cleaner in which it is in common use, the axis of the motor in the fan is perpendicular to the plane on which the vacuum cleaner stands. It is particularly preferred if the A-side is connected via the elastic body to the core of the vacuum cleaner housing and the B-side is located on the lower outer wall or in the vicinity thereof. In this case, gravity pulls the fan toward the lower outer wall so that the fan can rest on the lower outer wall when at rest. During operation of the vacuum cleaner, the fan is then lifted, so that the force of gravity is at least partially compensated. So it can be achieved that the fan finds a secure fit in the vacuum cleaner housing at rest. In addition, the blower in the Operating state are lifted from the lower outer wall and thus avoided that the vibrations of the fan necessarily transmitted to the outer wall of the vacuum cleaner housing. As a result, the noise level through the vacuum cleaner can be reduced.

In a standing arrangement of the blower, it is possible that the blower on the A and B side are each held in different parts of the vacuum cleaner housing. As a result, it can be achieved that the blower is fastened via the elastic body to a vacuum cleaner housing part, which is particularly low-vibration and stable. At the same time, the vacuum cleaner housing part, from which the fan is lifted, be particularly easy to construct, since it is exposed to no or only a reduced vibration of the fan.

Preferably, the lifting takes place in the direction of gravity, particularly preferably against gravity. However, the invention also includes embodiments in which the lifting takes place in a different direction, for example perpendicular to the direction of gravity. In such an exemplary embodiment, the fan would move in a horizontal direction to the housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the fan is arranged lying in the vacuum cleaner. By a lying fan, a particularly compact design of the vacuum cleaner can be achieved. The position of the fan can be chosen so that the fan is always lifted in the operating state and regardless of a stationary or horizontal position of the vacuum cleaner by the same amount. In a horizontal design, it is also possible that the blower is supported on only one vacuum cleaner housing part. As a result, a particularly simple construction of the vacuum cleaner is possible.

In a further preferred embodiment, the elastic body and / or the elastic element has a hardness of at least 25 Shore and at most 65 Shore. It is particularly preferred that the elastic body and / or the elastic element have a hardness of at least 30, preferably at least 35, more preferably at least 40 and most preferably at least 45. At the same time, it is preferable that the elastic body and / or the elastic member has a hardness of at most 60, preferably at most 55, and most preferably at most 50. As a result, the elastic body can be sufficiently compressed by the pressure difference and has the desired damping behavior. The elastic element can ensure sufficient transport safety of the fan at rest at this hardness.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is preferred that the damping behavior of the elastic body and / or the elastic element is changed by the lifting. By the compression of the elastic body, a stronger coupling of the vibration of the fan to the part of the vacuum cleaner housing, which is connected to the elastic body, can be achieved. In addition, it is possible by relieving the elastic element - which is generated by the lifting - that a decoupling of the fan of the vacuum cleaner housing can be realized. By suitable placement of the blower in the vacuum cleaner housing, so that the elastic body is arranged on a particularly low-vibration and the elastic element on a comparatively stronger oscillating part of the vacuum cleaner housing, a noise reduction during operation of the vacuum cleaner can be achieved.

It is preferred that the elastic element can change its damping properties. Particularly preferably, the elastic element can change its damping properties linearly. This can be achieved for example by conical recesses in the elastic element. Alternatively, the elastic element and its damping properties change abruptly, which can be realized for example by blind hole-like recesses in the elastic element. The invention makes it possible that the vibration transmission of the B-side connection to the vacuum cleaner housing is reduced. This is particularly advantageous for stationary blowers, since especially in this case can be done by gravity, a particularly unfavorable vibration transmission to the vacuum cleaner housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the elastic body and / or the elastic element is at least partially made of polyurethane. By using polyurethane, in particular polyurethane foams, improved vibration damping can be achieved. So it is possible a reduced To cause noise development of the vacuum cleaner according to the invention.

Characterized in that the fan according to the invention is connected via the body with the vacuum cleaner housing, but preferably the elastic element is not firmly connected to the vacuum cleaner housing, the risk is reduced that a tension of the vacuum cleaner housing - in particular by component tolerances - on the fan occurs. This makes it possible to design the vacuum cleaner structurally simple and to use inexpensive, relatively high-tolerance components.

By the invention it is possible to provide an improved vacuum cleaner. In particular, the vacuum cleaner according to the invention has a reduced noise. The invention can be advantageously implemented with only minor structural changes and a total of little design effort.

Brief description of the drawings

Further advantageous embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, to which the invention is not limited.

• Fig. 1 den erfindungsgemäßen Staubsauger im Ruhezustand in einem Querschnitt und
• Fig. 2 den erfindungsgemäßen Staubsauger im Betriebszustand in einem Querschnitt.

They show schematically:

• Fig. 1 the vacuum cleaner according to the invention at rest in a cross section and
• Fig. 2 the vacuum cleaner according to the invention in the operating state in a cross section.

Detailed description based on embodiments

Shown is an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the invention in the idle state ( FIG. 1 ) and operating state ( FIG. 2 ). In this embodiment, the blower 2 is arranged upright. At rest, it is - due to gravity - with the elastic element 3 in a recess 4 in the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. The elastic body 7 is connected to the core 8 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. In this case, the elastic body 7 is designed so that a defined air gap 9 between the A-side 10 of the blower 2 and the core 8 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6 is formed. The tight fit of the elastic element 3 in its recess 4 in the vacuum cleaner housing 6 prevents the blower 2 from slipping and the blower 2 or the vacuum cleaner housing 6 from being damaged during transport of the vacuum cleaner 1 in its idle state.

In the operating state of the vacuum cleaner 1, when the fan 2 is turned on, creates a negative pressure on the A-side 10, so that the defined air gap 9 is reduced and the fan 2 is raised, so that the elastic element 3, that at the B-side eleventh the blower 2 is mounted, no longer rests against the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. The resulting between the elastic member 3 and its recess 4 in the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6 gap 12 at the B-side 11 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6 is wider than the amplitude of the vibration in the axial direction, which performs the blower 2 in its normal operation. This largely prevents the vibrations of the blower 2 from being transmitted in the axial direction to the outer wall 13 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. At best, to a lesser extent vibrations can be transmitted via the contact of the elastic member 3 with the recess 4 in the radial direction on the outer wall 13 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. The gap which arises between the elastic element 3 and its recess 4 in the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6 is sufficiently small that the fan 2 can not slip during operation of the vacuum cleaner 1. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is turned off, the negative pressure at the A-side 10 of the blower 2 goes back and the blower 2 descends again with the elastic element 3 into its recess 4 in the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6. By this surprisingly simple construction, it is possible that the fan 2 is particularly firmly coupled during operation on the low-vibration interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6, wherein it is decoupled from the outer wall 13 of the vacuum cleaner housing 6 at the same time. As a result, a significant noise reduction of the vacuum cleaner 1 is achieved. In the embodiment shown, the elastic body 7 is at the same time also the seal 14 between the air inlet 15 of the blower 2 and the vacuum cleaner housing 6 of the blower.

The elastic element 3 has slots which surround lamellae in the recess 4, so that the elastic element 3 and the interior 5 of the vacuum cleaner housing are meshed with each other like a comb. By lifting the elastic element 3 is lifted from the recess 4. The lamellae of the recess 4 are at least partially pulled out of the slots in the elastic element 4. This reduces the contact area between the elastic element 3 and the vacuum cleaner housing 6, whereby the vibration transmission from the blower 2 to the vacuum cleaner housing 6 is reduced.

The lower noise level represents a significant quality feature of the vacuum cleaner for the user and can thus lead to an economic success of the vacuum cleaner. The invention is structurally simple to perform and requires only minor changes to existing design plans.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

vacuum cleaner

2

fan

3

elastic element

4

recess

5

Interior of the vacuum cleaner housing

6

vacuum cleaner housing

7

elastic body

8th

Core of the vacuum cleaner housing

9

defined air gap

10

A side

11

B-side of the blower

12

Gap between the elastic element and its recess

13

outer wall of the vacuum cleaner housing

14

poetry

15

air intake

Claims (11)

1. Vacuum cleaner (1) with a vacuum cleaner housing (6) and a fan (2), wherein during operation of the fan (2) the fan is decoupled from the vacuum cleaner housing (6), wherein the decoupling reduces or dispenses with a contact surface between the housing (2) and the vacuum cleaner housing (6), characterised in that the fan (2) has an elastic element (3) on the side on which the contact surface is reduced or dispensed with, wherein the elastic element (3) is not permanently connected to the vacuum cleaner housing (6).
2. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the decoupling is effected by a pressure difference.
3. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a displacement of the fan (2) relative to the vacuum cleaner housing (6) arising from the decoupling amounts to at least 0.5 mm.
4. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an elastic body (7) is compressed during the decoupling.
5. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fan (2) is connected to the vacuum cleaner housing (6) via the elastic body (7).
6. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic body (7) is connected to a seal (14) between the air inlet (15) of the fan (2) and the vacuum cleaner housing (6), represents a part of such a seal (14) or even forms the entire seal (14).
7. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fan (2) is arranged so as to stand in the vacuum cleaner (1).
8. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fan (2) is arranged so as to lie in the vacuum cleaner (1).
9. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic body (7) and/or the elastic element (3) have a hardness of at least 25 Shore and at the most 65 Shore.
10. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the decoupling changes the attenuation behaviour of the elastic body (7) and/or of the elastic element (3).
11. Vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elastic body (7) and/or the elastic element (3) is at least partially produced from polyurethane.

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