EP2988642B1 - Suction cleaner with a dedusting control for the filter - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a vacuum cleaner with Abreinigungssteuerung for the filter or the filter according to the preamble of claim 1. Such Abreinigungssteuerung is with the subject of DE 101 01 219 A1 become known, however, in which a vacuum cleaner is provided with a split filter and two valves to control the cleaning of the filter.

Accordingly, each filter to be cleaned off (filter half) is assigned its own switching valve.

Each switching valve was electromagnetically controlled and consisted of a solenoid, which operates a valve rod, were arranged on the two spaced-apart valve plate.

In one stroke position thus the working position was given, which means that both filter halves are traversed by dirty air.

On the other hand, when a solenoid was actuated, the valve stem was raised and the change-over valve was brought into a second closed state. In this Abreinigungsstellung the compressed air of the turbine is passed to the flow through the filter to be cleaned in the opposite direction in comparison to the suction, so that the filter is flushed through with high pressure and thereby falling from the filter pores debris fall into the dirt container.

Disadvantage of this arrangement is that in the Abreinigungsstellung, such as in FIG. 2 of the DE 101 01 219 A1 is shown, the lifting magnet with full lifting force lift the upper valve plate 30a and press the lower valve plate 31a against the now to be closed valve opening.

Characterized in that according to the arrows at the reference numeral 31a in FIG. 2 of the DE 101 01 219 A1 disadvantageously also a negative pressure acts on the valve disk 31a in the sense of an opening movement, the solenoid must be supplied with a high current to counteract the opening movement of the valve disk 31a resulting from suction pressure. This results in a high power consumption in the solenoid and thus a high energy consumption of the vacuum cleaner as a whole.

In the US 2005/0011 036 A1 is a valve rod 22 shown in Figure 5, on the two spaced switching valves 65, 72 are arranged.

Again, there is the disadvantage that due to the action of suction pressure on the valve disc located in the closed position, the drive motor for actuating the valve rod still has to spend additional force to keep the closed valve in the closed position against the suction pressure acting in the opening direction.

With the subject of US 5 347 809 A1 is another vacuum cleaner with cleaning device has become known in which the two valve disks Although different sizes, but a total of the stroke of the valve rod, a pneumatic device is used, which must be controlled under the force of a compression spring with a complex electromagnetic control. In this document is not the problem in the foreground that the energy consumption of the control for the actuation of the valve stem should be kept low. Rather, it is in this invention that under the action of preheated gases should be a cheap cleaning of a car filter.

The invention is therefore based on the DE 101 01 219 A1 the object of a method for operating a vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner with a cleaning control for one or more filters of a Educate dirt sucker so that the energy consumption of the valve rod (s) actuated solenoid or a similar control device is substantially reduced and a secured against fluttering of the valve device opening and closing position of the changeover valve is guaranteed.

To solve the problem, the invention is characterized by the technical teaching of claims 1 and.

Feature of the invention is that in a conventional manner, the two seated on the same valve rod valve plate each complete the passage opening of a suction chamber, and that air leading in closing connection to the suction chamber adjoins an intermediate chamber, which is arranged upstream of the main filter and flows through the suction air is, and that in the region of this intermediate chamber, a valve arrangement is arranged, which produces a pressure equalization between the pressure chamber and the intermediate chamber in the Abreinigungsstellung.

The inventively provided pressure equalization between the pressure chamber and the intermediate chamber ensures that the harmful negative pressure in the cleaning position, which acts in the opening direction on the valve disk and which is opposite to the lifting magnet, omitted because the intermediate chamber is vented and the negative pressure removed from this intermediate chamber becomes.

Although the invention describes as a preferred embodiment of an electromagnetically actuated changeover valve, the actuating rod cooperates with the valve assembly to minimize the actuating force on the actuating rod. However, the invention is not limited thereto. Instead of an electromagnetically actuated reversing valve with an actuating rod, all other known drive systems can be optimized with the invention, in which their operating force (and thus also the Power consumption) are minimized. This is done according to the teachings of the invention always characterized in that the drive or actuation system of Umschaltventilanordnung cooperates with the valve system of the dirty vacuum so that the negative pressure generated in the filter system is used to minimize the operating force of the Umschaltventilanordnung. Accordingly, the negative pressure generated in the filter system always relieves the drive system of Umschaltventileinrichtung and minimizes their drive power. The minimization of the driving force for a solenoid is therefore only to be understood as an example and does not limit the scope of the invention.

This has the advantage that the - only exemplarily mentioned - solenoid does not have to additionally handle the acting on the valve disk in the intermediate chamber opening pressure, because by the venting of the intermediate chamber, the lifting force of the solenoid no longer has to handle this additional opening pressure.

Thus, the power requirement of the solenoid or other electromagnetic, electropneumatic or mechanical control device or a drive device acting the same is substantially reduced.

The further advantage is that despite a lower power consumption and a lower drive power of the solenoid reliable fluttering of the valve device with the two valve plates on the valve stem is avoided.

In the cleaning position, the intermediate chamber is brought into an air-tight connection with the pressure chamber. Accordingly, in the open position, the downstream adjoining the suction chamber intermediate chamber is vented and thus removes a vacuum from this intermediate chamber.

This is achieved with a third valve, which allows the compressed air into the intermediate chamber and thus eliminates eliminates the prevailing negative pressure, which would be opposite to the lifting movement of the solenoid.

For the arrangement of the third valve arrangement for venting the intermediate chamber in the cleaning mode, there are various embodiments.

In a first embodiment it is provided that the third valve is arranged together on the valve rod with the two other valve plates, so that upon actuation of the valve rod for the other two valve disc and the same time the third valve is actuated, which the ventilation of the intermediate chamber of the pressure chamber reached out.

This is a particularly simple embodiment, because the third valve assembly is always necessarily coupled with the other two valve rods and their movement, because the third valve sits on the same valve rod as the other valves.

In this case, it is preferred if the cross section of the third valve is smaller than the cross section of the valve disk, which ensures a closing movement at the inlet between the pressure chamber and the suction chamber.

If the cross section were not smaller, then said valve plate could not close reliably.

Therefore, it is necessary for the solution that the valve cross-section of the third valve is smaller than the valve cross section of the one valve disc, which is arranged between the pressure chamber and the suction chamber.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, it is shown that it is not necessary to solve the problem of arranging the third valve with the smaller valve cross-section valve plate on the valve rod for the actuation of the other two valve disc. This third valve can be arranged completely independently in the connection area between the pressure chamber and the intermediate chamber and, for example, break through the upper part of the pressure chamber or the upper part of the cleaning unit so as to open on demand and in accordance with the required cleaning mode when the cleaning mode is switched on, thus providing an air-tight Make connection between the pressure chamber and the intermediate chamber.

In a third embodiment, it may be provided that the vent valve is arranged as a spring-loaded check valve, which only opens against the force of a spring when in the cleaning position, the negative pressure in the intermediate chamber rises sharply and also in the opposite pressure chamber of the outflow pressure of the air rises sharply.

This pressure difference then leads to an opening of the spring-loaded in the closed position held check valve.

The subject of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims with each other.

All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, in particular the spatial design shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention insofar as they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings showing only one embodiment. Here are from the drawings and their description further features essential to the invention and advantages of the invention.

• Figur 1: schematisiert einen Querschnitt durch einen Schmutzsauger mit der Anordnung der Filterabreinigung eines Flachfilters im Saugmodus
• Figur 2: die gleiche Darstellung wie Figur 1 im Reinigungsmodus
• Figur 3: schematisiert die Gegenüberstellung der Kraft auf den Magnetanker bezüglich der Zeit bei der Umschaltung vom Saugmodus in den Reinigungsmodus

Show it:

• FIG. 1 : Schematically cross section through a vacuum cleaner with the arrangement of the filter cleaning a flat filter in the suction mode
• FIG. 2 : the same representation as FIG. 1 in cleaning mode
• FIG. 3 : schematizes the comparison of the force on the armature with respect to the time when switching from the suction mode to the cleaning mode

In FIG. 1 In general, a vacuum cleaner is shown, which consists of a main filter 27 and an upstream prefilter 9. However, the invention is not limited thereto. It can also have two main filters 27, which are then each assigned a cleaning unit, as in the form of the cleaning unit 3 in FIG. 1 is shown.

Consequently, the cleaning arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the invention also to a double filter arrangement according to the DE 101 01 219 A1 be transmitted.

The invention is therefore not limited to cleaning off a single main filter 27.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the vacuum cleaner essentially consists of a container 1 receiving the dirt, which can be detached via lateral closures 2 with a cleaning unit 3 arranged above it connected is. On the cleaning unit 3, a hood unit 4 is detachably arranged.

The dirt-laden air flows in the direction of arrow 6 via the inlet 5 into the interior of the container 1 and flows in the direction of arrow 8 against the underside of the trained as a flat filter prefilter 9, with a circumferential seal 11 in two spaced-apart side walls 14, 15 below the Cleaning unit 3 is arranged. Instead of a flat filter, other filter types can be used, such as round filters, pleated filters and the like.

After flowing through the prefilter 9, the air flows in the direction of arrow 18 in the suction chamber 12, which is formed by the two spaced-apart side walls 14, 15 in the cleaning unit 3, wherein the two side walls 14, 15 are penetrated by openings 16, 17 , which are optionally closed by a respective valve disk 19, 21, when the vacuum cleaner from the suction mode after FIG. 1 after cleaning mode FIG. 2 is switched.

In the suction mode shown FIG. 1 Accordingly, the left opening 17 is open in the side wall 15, because the valve seat 20 is firmly seated on the valve disc 19 is lifted from the opening 17, while the opening 16 occlusive valve plate 21 is held under the action of a spring 22 in the closed position, so so that the opening 16 is hermetically sealed. The solenoid 23 is not yet actuated because the closing force is applied to the valve plate 21 solely by the spring 22 in the direction of arrow 24.

The force of the spring 22 is assisted by the fact that a negative pressure in the suction chamber 12 in comparison to the overlying pressure chamber 34 prevails, so that even under the action of the overpressure of the valve plate 21 is held in its closed position in the opening 16, and the force of Spring 22 supported. At the same time but under this negative pressure, which is exerted on the valve plate 21 and supports the force of the spring 22, a likewise seated on the valve rod 20 third valve with a valve plate 37 is pressed against an associated outlet opening 38, so that these outlet opening 38 is closed in the suction mode is.

In the suction mode shown thus flows from the suction chamber 12 flowing in the direction of arrow 18 through the opening 17 suction air from above through the main filter 27, which is shown as non-cleanable filter. In the embodiment shown, therefore, only the pre-filter 9 is cleaned with the cleaning device according to the invention.

The suction air thus flows through the main filter 27 and leaves it in the direction of arrow 28 by the suction air flows through a clean air chamber 29, which is arranged on the suction side of the turbine 30. The turbine sucks this air in the direction of arrow 28, compresses it and pushes it under high pressure in the direction of arrow 31 in the pressure chamber 34 arranged above it.

The pressure chamber is separated from the cleaning unit 3 by the upper part 13.

In the upper part 13, the outlet opening 38, which is still closed for the time being by the valve plate 37, is arranged. The two filters 9, 27 are otherwise arranged in the passage areas of a base plate 10, which forms the underside of the cleaning unit 3.

The drive motor of the turbine 30 is cooled by inflowing cooling air 32, which is blown out as exhaust air flow 33 ..

The solenoid 23 is held in a holder 25 on the side wall 14 of the upper part 13.

The air flowing in the direction of arrow 31 into the pressure chamber 34 leaves an outlet 36 in the region of the hood unit 4 in the direction of the arrow 35.

The intermediate chamber 26 to be vented with the third valve disk 37 is formed by the side wall 15, which is closed by the valve disk 19 as required and by the upper part 13 of the cleaning unit 3. The intermediate chamber 26 is seated (upstream) in front of the main filter 27 and after the prefilter 9 ,

The intermediate chamber 26 is closed airtight by a wall of the base plate 10 downwards.

In the cleaning mode, the solenoid 23 is actuated in the direction of arrow 24 'in its open position and is energized, where he must overcome the force of the spring 22 to move the valve rod 20 in the shift position in the direction of arrow 24'.

In this case, the negative pressure prevailing in the intermediate chamber 26 would ensure that the negative pressure continues to act on the valve disk 19 and tries to lift it from its valve seat at the opening 17. Accordingly strong the solenoid 23 must be formed because he must overcome the one hand, the force of the spring 22 and on the other hand, the opening force acting on the valve plate 19, must additionally overcome.

For this reason, lifting magnets 23 had to be used with a relatively high power requirement in order to avoid unwanted fluttering of the valve rod 20 and thus an abrupt lifting of the valve disk 19 from the opening 17.

This is where the invention begins, which provides that in the in FIG. 2 shown cleaning position at the same time a vent, namely the Outlet opening 38 is released in the region between the pressure chamber 34 and the intermediate chamber 26, so that compressed air from the pressure chamber 34 flows in the direction of arrow 43 into the intermediate chamber 26 and there remove the unwanted negative pressure from the valve plate 19, which wants to remove it from its seat at the opening 17 ,

Thus, it is no longer necessary that the solenoid 23 a strong closing force in the direction of arrow 24 'unfolds, because the tearing force or the opening force on the valve plate 19 by the ventilation of the intermediate chamber 26 is omitted. It is preferred if the cross-section 39 of the valve disk 37 of the third valve is smaller than the air-effective cross-section of the valve disk 19, so that an opening force acting on the valve disk 37 in FIG FIG. 1 operates in the suction mode, does not lead to an opening of the outlet opening 38.

The cross section 39 of the valve disk 37 should therefore be substantially smaller than the cross section 40 of the valve disk 21.

On the other hand, however, it should be so large that a significant ventilation of the air from the pressure chamber 34 takes place in the form of the air flow 43 for the intermediate chamber 26 in order to remove the harmful negative pressure which acts on the valve disk 19 in the opening direction. Thus, the intermediate chamber 26 is vented in the cleaning mode.

This allows a certain circulation flow from the turbine 30 leaving air flow in the direction of arrow 31, because of this air flow, a partial air flow 43 is diverted. The turbine thus runs at least partially in a circulating air flow.

At the same time, the air flow leaving the turbine in the direction of arrow 31 leads to the air flow FIG. 2 illustrated Abreinigungsluftstrom 42, which partially leaves the outlet 36, but for the greater part as Abreinigungsluftstrom 42 abruptly flows through the pre-filter 9 from the opposite side, and impulsively cleanse it. The Abreinigungsstrom 42 is maintained only until a pressure equalization in the container 1 has taken place.

It is preferred if the cross section 41 of the valve disk 19 is approximately the same size as the cross section 40 of the valve disk 21.

In the FIG. 1 the oppositely directed forces are shown. In the suction mode, an opening force 53 acts on the side of the pressure chamber 34 on the lower cross-section 39 having the valve plate 37, which is accordingly pressed with a higher closing force 56 against the valve seat in the opening 38.

At the same time, the spring 22 operates in the closing direction with a closing force 54 on the valve rod and thus holds the valve disk 21 in its closed position, although on the other side of the valve disk, a smaller opening force 55 acts on the side of the smaller cross-sectional third valve disk 37. This is the reason that the cross section of the valve disk 37 must be smaller than the cross section of the valve disk 21.

In the cleaning position of the solenoid 23 operates in the direction of arrow 24 ', and with the opening of the valve disc 37, the intermediate chamber 26 is vented from the side of the pressure chamber with the air flow 43, thus removing the negative pressure from the valve disk 19th

Thus, the closing force is substantially increased 57 on the valve plate 19, because the negative pressure in the intermediate chamber 26 is omitted, and the solenoid 23 must - in comparison to the prior art - no longer apply such a strong lifting force, because the lifting force only the resistance must overcome the spring 22. Thus, the solenoid can be designed with lower electrical power, and achieved an equal operating force, as belonging to the prior art lifting magnet.

FIG. 3 shows the advantageous effect of the invention.

On the ordinate, the force of the magnet armature of the lifting magnet 23 is indicated, which corresponds approximately to the power consumption of the solenoid, while the abscissa indicates the time.

At position 46 of the cleaning cycle begins, the solenoid is abruptly driven in the direction of arrow 24 '.

Now, if no venting of the intermediate chamber 26 takes place, the armature would require a force up to position 47, to then perform the cleaning in this holding position to position 48. After switching off the current to the solenoid 23, the curve would then run from position 48 to position 49.

If, on the other hand, the intermediate chamber 26 is ventilated, then only one lifting magnet force has to be applied from position 46 to position 50, and from position 50 to position 51 the cleaning takes place with a considerably lower force of the lifting magnet and ends again at position 49.

The difference between the two positions 50, 47 is the force saving 52 according to the invention on the lifting magnet, which has been achieved by the ventilation according to the invention of the intermediate chamber 26 in the cleaning mode.

The arrangement of the third valve stable closing and opening positions of the valve device can be achieved and a flutter of the valve device - as in the prior art known - can thus be reliably avoided.

drawing Legend

1

container

2

shutter

3

cleaning unit

4

hood unit

5

inlet

6

arrow

7

swivel axis

8th

arrow

9

prefilter

10

Base plate (from 3)

11

Seal (of 9)

12

suction chamber

13

top

14

Side wall

15

Side wall

16

Opening (in 15)

17

Opening (in 15)

18

arrow

19

Valve disc (left)

20

valve rod

21

Valve disc (right)

22

feather

23

solenoid

24

arrow

25

bracket

26

intermediate chamber

27

main filter

28

arrow

29

Clean air chamber

30

turbine

31

arrow

32

Cooling air (closed)

33

exhaust air flow

34

pressure chamber

35

arrow

36

outlet

37

valve disc

38

outlet

39

Cross section (from 37)

40

Cross section (from 21)

41

Cross section (from 19)

42

Abreinigungsluftstrom

43

airflow

44

45

46

position

47

position

48

position

49

position

50

position

51

position

52

power saving

53

Opening force (on 37)

54

Closing force (on 21)

55

Opening force (on 21)

56

Closing force (on 37)

57

Closing force (on 19)

Claims (8)

1. Method for operation of a vacuum cleaner, in which in the filter cleaning position controlled by a switching valve arrangement (19, 20, 21) at least one filter (9) through which the stream of air laden with dirt flows is cleaned in the opposite direction to this stream of air, and the suction air laden with dirt from the dirt collecting container (1) flows firstly through the at least one filter (9) which is adjoined in the flow direction by a suction chamber (12) which is adjoined downstream by an intermediate chamber (26) which is arranged on the suction side of the turbine (30), and arranged downstream of the turbine (30) there is a high pressure chamber (34), wherein to reduce the actuating force of the switching valve arrangement (19, 20, 21) in the cleaning position of the vacuum cleaner an equalisation of pressure takes place between the high pressure chamber (34) and the intermediate chamber (26), characterised in that the equalisation of pressure is effected by a valve (37, 39) which lets the high pressure air produced by the turbine (30) into the intermediate chamber (26) and eliminates the vacuum which prevails there and opposes the lifting movement of a lifting magnet (23).
2. Vacuum cleaner with filter cleaning control, in which in the cleaning position at least one filter (9) through which the stream of air laden with dirt flows is cleaned in the opposite direction to this stream of air, and the at least one filter (9) is associated with at least one switching valve (19, 20, 21) which is actuated electromagnetically by means of a lifting magnet (23) and switches over sharply in the cleaning position; and the suction air from the dirt collecting container (1) flows firstly through the at least one filter (9) which is adjoined in the flow direction by a suction chamber (12) having at least two openings (16, 17), and the two openings (16, 17) can be closed optionally by the switching valve (19, 20, 21), wherein arranged downstream of the suction chamber (12) there is an adjoining intermediate chamber (26) which is arranged on the suction side of the turbine (30), and a high pressure chamber (34) is arranged downstream of the turbine (30), wherein to reduce the actuating force of the switching valve arrangement (19, 20, 21) in the cleaning position of the vacuum cleaner an equalisation of pressure takes place between the high pressure chamber (34) and the intermediate chamber (26) through a valve arrangement (37, 39), characterised in that the equalisation of pressure is effected by the valve arrangement (37, 39) which lets the high pressure air produced by the turbine (30) into the intermediate chamber (26) and eliminates the vacuum which prevails there and opposes the lifting movement of the lifting magnet (23).
3. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, characterised in that the valve head (37) of the valve arrangement (37, 39) for the venting of the intermediate chamber can be actuated together with the switching valve (19, 20, 21) and is subject to the action of the same drive.
4. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, characterised in that the valve head (37) of the valve arrangement (37, 39) for the venting of the intermediate chamber is arranged on the valve rod (20) for actuation of the switching valve (19, 20, 21).
5. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, characterised in that the valve arrangement (37, 39) for the venting of the intermediate chamber (26) is actuated separately from the drive of the switching valve (19, 20, 21).
6. Vacuum cleaner according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the cross-section (39) of the valve head (37) of the valve arrangement (37, 39) for the venting of the intermediate chamber (26) is smaller than the cross-section (40) of the valve head (21) which ensures a closing movement at the inlet between the high pressure chamber (34) and the suction chamber (12).
7. Vacuum cleaner according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that with regard to the switching valve (19, 20, 21) the cross-section (41) of the valve head (19) which ensures a closing movement at the inlet between the suction chamber (12) and the intermediate chamber (26), is roughly the same size as the cross-section (40) of the valve head (21) which ensures a closing movement at the inlet between the high pressure chamber (34) and the suction chamber (12).
8. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, characterised in that the valve arrangement (37, 39) is a spring-loaded non-return valve.

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