EP3412185B1 - Easily rechargeable hand-held rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner with a suction nozzle, through which suction air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner in an inflow direction in the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner, an electric accumulator for operating the motor of a motor-blower unit of the vacuum cleaner and a connector for Charging the electric accumulator, the connector having an intended insertion direction. The invention further relates to a system comprising such a vacuum cleaner and a charging station for such a vacuum cleaner.

Background of the Invention

From the European patent specification EP 2 544 575 B1 An arrangement is known which shows a hand-held vacuum cleaner, which is further developed with a suction pipe to form a stick vacuum cleaner, and a wall-mounted docking station. The docking station can hold the handheld vacuum cleaner in a position with the suction tube pointing downwards and which is described in the document as upright. The docking station comprises an upper holding element and a lower holding element, the upper holding element forming a charging station which is designed such that it receives a rear part of the handheld vacuum cleaner in a sliding fit. The handheld vacuum cleaner has a charging socket on the back of the handle, into which a charging plug of the charging station is inserted from above in the charging position. The charging station can be displaced with respect to the lower holding element along a holding axis and is elastically pretensioned to the lower holding element in order to hold the handheld vacuum cleaner elastically against the lower holding element and to lock the handheld vacuum cleaner in the upright, docked position. The US publication US 6,125,498 A discloses a handheld liquid suction device with a suction nozzle, a collecting tank, a vacuum blower and an outlet pipe. A cleaning liquid supply is also provided. The liquid hand-held vacuum cleaner is equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be charged via charging contacts arranged on the rear of the liquid hand-held vacuum cleaner when in a storage and charging station.

EP 0 192 624 A2 mentioned: a connection at the bottom of a depression of a vacuum cleaner for connection to a suitable connection of a charging holder. DE 35 40 898 A1 describes connections inside a vacuum cleaner that are electrically connected to terminals of a charging unit when the vacuum cleaner is used in a recess in a charging unit.

Object of the invention

The invention has for its object an improved hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner with a suction nozzle through which suction air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner in an inflow direction in the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner, an electric accumulator for operating the motor of a motor-blower unit of the Vacuum cleaner and a connector to charge the electric battery. In particular, the new vacuum cleaner should be easy to manufacture, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. The invention is also based on the object of providing an improved system comprising the vacuum cleaner and a charging station. The system should be simple in construction and handling.

Solution according to the invention

The reference symbols in all claims have no restrictive effect, but are merely intended to improve their legibility.

The object is achieved by a hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner with the features of claim 1. The hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner has a suction nozzle through which suction air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner in an inflow direction in the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner, one electrical accumulator for operating the motor of a motor-blower unit of the vacuum cleaner and a connector for charging the electrical accumulator. The connector has an intended plug-in direction along an axis that extends parallel to the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °, and is arranged on the vacuum cleaner in an accessible manner via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner.

In the present case, angular dimensions are related to a semicircle segment of 180 °, that is, two directions can enclose an angle of at most 180 °, in which case they would point in the opposite direction.

For the purposes of the present invention, a "hand-held vacuum cleaner" is a vacuum cleaner which is not only designed for use with a suction pipe or a suction hose or which connects a suction air inlet of the vacuum cleaner with a floor nozzle for floor cleaning, but also or is even designed exclusively for use without such a suction pipe or such a suction hose, for example to clean furniture. However, the group of handheld vacuum cleaners within the meaning of the present invention also includes those vacuum cleaners which, in addition to the abovementioned possibilities, can also be operated with a suction pipe or a suction hose and a floor nozzle which can be connected to the suction pipe or the suction hose for cleaning a floor. When using a suction tube, the user moves the hand-held vacuum cleaner with the attached suction tube and the floor nozzle attached to it over the floor area to be cleaned.

In the case of a preferred hand-held vacuum cleaner, in the intended operation with suction pipe or suction hose and a floor nozzle which can be connected to the suction pipe or suction hose, the motor, blower and dust removal device are in the upper half, particularly preferably in the upper half One third of the distance from the floor nozzle to a handle of the vacuum cleaner arranged.

The hand-held vacuum cleaner is due to its compact size and light weight suitable to be comfortably held and carried in the hand, preferably with only one hand. The weight is particularly preferably less than 2 kg, particularly preferably less than 1.5 kg, in each case without an accumulator. Its preferred length from the handle to the air inlet without a connected suction hose or suction pipe is less than 60 cm, particularly preferably less than 50 cm.

"Battery operated" should be understood to mean that the vacuum cleaner is equipped with an electric accumulator, with which the vacuum cleaner can be operated without an additional power supply. This does not rule out that the vacuum cleaner can additionally or alternatively also be operated via a power supply line, for example when the battery is exhausted or while the battery is charging. With the accumulator operation it can advantageously be achieved that the freedom of movement of the vacuum cleaner is no longer restricted by a cable for the power supply of the vacuum cleaner. The preferred hand-held battery operated vacuum cleaner is a "battery operated vacuum cleaner of regular size" according to the draft of February 2017 of DIN EN 62885-4.

Hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaners are becoming increasingly popular because they are easy to use and are therefore particularly suitable for vacuuming small amounts of dirt. Just like conventional mains-operated vacuum cleaners, such hand-held vacuum cleaners have a motor-blower unit for generating the suction air flow, the suction air from a suction opening, for example a suction nozzle, via a dust separating device to the motor-blower unit and then, for example, to a blow-out area Outlet openings is guided. The dust separator in hand-held vacuum cleaners is usually designed as a bagless dust separator, in which the inflowing air is rotated in order to separate dust and dirt according to the centrifugal separator principle.

In the sense of the present invention, the “intended plug-in direction” is the direction in which the plug connector or mating connector would have to be guided in the direction of this corresponding mating plug connector or plug connector in order to establish a current-conducting contact between the plug connector and the mating plug connector , The plug-in directions of the plug connector and mating plug connector thus point to the corresponding mating plug connector or plug connector when establishing a current-conducting contact.

In the following, terms such as "top", "top", "bottom" and "bottom" are used to describe the hand-held vacuum cleaner and the charging station. In the sense of the present invention, these should be understood in relation to the direction of gravity when the vacuum cleaner and the charging station are intended to be used. The "bottom side" of the vacuum cleaner is the side of the vacuum cleaner, the surface normal of which, in the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner, generally points downwards and with the front also pointing downwards to the user. The front is the side of the vacuum cleaner, the surface normal of which is generally oriented counter to the direction of flow of the suction air into the suction nozzle and on which the suction nozzle is generally arranged. The front faces away from the user when using the vacuum cleaner with the front facing down. The back of the vacuum cleaner is the side whose surface normal is generally oriented in the direction of inflow of the suction air into the suction nozzle. The "top" of the vacuum cleaner is the side of the vacuum cleaner, the surface normal of which generally points upwards in the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner and away from the user when the front side is directed downwards. A handle for guiding the vacuum cleaner is usually arranged in the area of the back and / or top.

Because the plug connector is arranged on the vacuum cleaner in an accessible manner via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner, it is easily accessible for a charging station to which the vacuum cleaner is coupled with its bottom side. As a result, the charging station can have a particularly simple construction, as shown below. This also makes the system of vacuum cleaner and charging station particularly easy to use. In addition, the bottom access to the connector can be aesthetic be advantageous because it can be avoided that the connector is visible from above or from one side when looking at the vacuum cleaner. This aspect of the invention takes advantage of the fact that the vacuum cleaner is usually only viewed from above or from the side during normal use.

Charging stations for hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaners are often provided for wall mounting, with the vacuum cleaner being inserted into the charging station with the suction nozzle pointing downwards. As a result of this orientation of the vacuum cleaner, a suction nozzle attached to the vacuum cleaner or a suction pipe attached to the vacuum cleaner can advantageously also point downwards, usually hanging downwards. This enables a stable storage of the vacuum cleaner with attached suction nozzle or suction tube. In addition, this orientation of the vacuum cleaner allows particularly hygienic handling, because when the vacuum cleaner is at the gripping height in the charging station, the suction nozzle and pipe, which are often dirty, hang below this gripping height. Due to the fact that the connector has an intended plug-in direction along an axis that extends parallel to the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °, when the vacuum cleaner is from above or below the charging station is used, at the same time the connector is connected to a mating connector of the charging station in order to establish a current-conducting contact between the connector and the mating connector. This allows a particularly simple construction of the charging station and a particularly simple handling of the system of vacuum cleaner and charging station.

The object of the invention is also solved a hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner with the features of claim 2. The hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner has a suction nozzle, through which suction air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner in an inflow direction during the intended operation of the vacuum cleaner, an electric accumulator for operating the motor of a motor-blower unit of the vacuum cleaner and a connector for charging the electrical one Accumulator on. The plug connector has an intended plug-in direction and is designed and arranged on the vacuum cleaner such that the intended plug-in direction of the plug connector runs counter to the inflow direction or includes an angle of more than 135 °, preferably more than 168 °. By this direction of insertion, it is particularly well suited with the invention for use with a charging station into which the vacuum cleaner is inserted from above. In such a case, the connector can also be connected to a mating connector of the charging station at the same time as it is inserted, in order to establish a current-conducting contact between the connector and the mating connector. This allows a particularly simple construction of the charging station and a particularly simple handling of the system of vacuum cleaner and charging station.

Accordingly, the object of the invention is also achieved by a system comprising a hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner as described above and a charging station for this vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner and the charging station being designed in such a way that the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the charging station in a manner , in which the connector of the vacuum cleaner and the mating connector of the charging station are electrically connected. Such a system can advantageously be particularly easy to use because the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the charging station and the connector can be connected to the mating connector in the same handling step.

Preferred embodiments of the invention

Advantageous training and further developments, which can be used individually or in combination with one another, are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

In a preferred embodiment of the hand-held battery-operated vacuum cleaner, the plug connector is arranged on the vacuum cleaner in an accessible manner via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner. The preferred connector has a pin or a socket. The plug connector is preferably of essentially circular cylindrical construction. For example, it can be designed as a hollow plug socket (female part of a hollow plug connection). Hollow plugs and hollow plug sockets are often used for voltage supply in the low-voltage range. The preferred hollow plug socket has at least one central contact pin for engaging into the interior of the hollow plug and a spring contact or spring-mounted contact Attack on the outer jacket of the barrel connector. Alternatively, the plug connector can be designed as a hollow plug (male part of a hollow plug connection) which has at least one contact inside and one contact on its outer jacket. Other possible connector designs are, for example, jack sockets and jack plugs. The preferred connector is bipolar.

The preferred connector is located inside the vacuum cleaner. This means that the contacts of the connector are not exposed but are arranged inside the vacuum cleaner housing. the contacts of the connector are particularly preferably accessible through an opening in the housing of the vacuum cleaner. This embodiment of the invention allows a particularly aesthetically pleasing design of the vacuum cleaner. In addition, the contacts of the connector can be protected from damage and dirt in this way.

The connector is preferably arranged in a bottom pocket of the vacuum cleaner. This can also help protect the connector from damage and dirt. The bag can also serve as a receptacle for a tongue or a slide of the charging station, wherein the tongue or the slide can engage in the bag in order to insert the vacuum cleaner into the charging station. The preferred pocket runs along an axis which extends parallel to the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °. The preferred bag is open to the front of the vacuum cleaner. This ensures that the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the charging station with the front facing in front.

The preferred vacuum cleaner has one or more, preferably two, upward blocking surfaces on the bottom, which are formed by one or more, preferably two, undercut (s). These locking areas are accessible from the bottom of the vacuum cleaner. With this embodiment of the invention it can be achieved that a tongue or the carriage of the charging station can engage behind the blocking surfaces in order to insert the vacuum cleaner into the charging station. The barrier area (s) can be part of the aforementioned pocket. In one embodiment of the invention, the locking surfaces by the undercuts of a groove, for. B. an L-groove, a T-groove or a dovetail guide groove on the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner. The the preferred groove runs along an axis which extends parallel to the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °. The preferred groove is open to a front of the vacuum cleaner. This ensures that the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the charging station with the front facing in front. The other end of the groove is preferably closed, that is, the groove is a blind groove.

The preferred vacuum cleaner has at least one generally forward-facing stop on the base side, which is accessible via the base side of the vacuum cleaner. In this context, "generally directed forward" should be understood to mean that the surface normal of the stop runs counter to the inflow direction or encloses an angle with it of more than 135 °, preferably more than 168 °. It is an advantage of this embodiment of the invention that the tongue or the carriage of the charging station, which engages in the pocket and / or engages behind the blocking surfaces, can strike the stop in order to hold the vacuum cleaner. Particularly preferably and the connector is arranged on the stop. The preferred stop is the closed end of the blind groove.

The preferred charging station is for wall mounting. For this purpose, it is preferably equipped with holes through which screws can be passed to fix the charging station to the wall. The charging station can preferably be mounted on the wall in such a way that the vacuum cleaner can be hung in the charging station with its front facing downward. Here, “generally downward” and “generally from above” are understood to mean an orientation or movement in the direction of gravity or a direction which includes an angle of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °, with the direction of gravity. "Mounted" means that the vacuum cleaner is secured in its suspended position against falling out to the front, preferably also to the side. The mating connector is preferably designed and arranged on the charging station in such a way that when the charging station is assembled as described above, the intended plug-in direction of the mating connector extends generally upwards, i.e. counter to the direction of gravity or in a direction that is more than an angle with the direction of gravity 135 °, preferably more than 168 °.

The preferred vacuum cleaner has a receptacle for a removable accumulator. The receptacle is designed so that an exchangeable accumulator can be inserted into the receptacle in a direction of insertion which runs counter to the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of more than 135 °. In the case of a preferred receptacle for the exchangeable accumulator, it can be removed in a direction which runs in the inflow direction or forms an angle with it of less than 45 °, preferably less than 22 °. The preferred accumulator is arranged in the lower part of the vacuum cleaner, particularly preferably on the bottom side.

In a preferred charging station, in the state of the vacuum cleaner inserted into the charging station, there is a gap between the charging station and the accumulator inserted in the vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, if the charging station is intended to be mounted on a flat wall, there is a space between the wall and the accumulator inserted in the vacuum cleaner. The space allows the battery to be changed easily when the battery is inserted in the charging station.

A preferred accumulator has an electrical charging connection. At a preferred charging station, a receptacle for an accumulator separate from the receptacle for the vacuum cleaner is provided, this receptacle preferably being equipped for the accumulator with a counter-charging connection for the accumulator. With this embodiment of the invention it is advantageously achievable that an accumulator can be charged separately from the vacuum cleaner, e.g. B. while the vacuum cleaner is in operation.

Brief description of the drawings

Further advantageous embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, to which the invention is not limited, however.

Figur 1a

einen erfindungsgemäßen Staubsauger in Seitenansicht;

Figur 1b

den Staubsauger aus Figur 1a in perspektivischer Ansicht von links oben;

Figur 2

den Staubsauger der vorgenannten Figuren in einem Längsquerschnitt durch eine vertikale Schnittebene;

Figur 3a

eine erfindungsgemäße Ladestation in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Figur 3b

die Ladestation aus Figur 3a in einem Längsquerschnitt durch eine vertikale Schnittebene

Figur 4

zwei Ansichten der erfindungsgemäßen Ladestation mit Zubehörteilen in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Figur 5

in perspektivischer Ansicht das erfindungsgemäße System aus Staubsauger und Ladestation in einer Anordnung, in der der Staubsauger in die Ladestation eingesetzt ist, wobei Zubehörteile an der Ladestation angebracht sind;

Figur 6

das in der vorgenannten Figur dargestellte System, jetzt in einem Längsquerschnitt durch eine vertikale Schnittebene dargestellt und ohne Zubehörteile;

Figur 7

das in der vorgenannten Figur dargestellte System in Schnittdarstellung, diesmal mit in der Ladestation angehobenem Staubsauger;

Figur 8

das in der vorgenannten Figur dargestellte System in Schnittdarstellung, diesmal mit von der Ladestation vollständig getrenntem Staubsauger;

Figur 9

eine mit Figur 6 korrespondierende perspektivische Ansicht;

Figur 10

eine mit Figur 7 korrespondierende perspektivische Ansicht;

Figur 11

eine mit Figur 8 korrespondierende perspektivische Ansicht;

Figur 12

eine Ansicht der Ladestation von oben und perspektivisch von links oben;

Figur 13

eine perspektivische Ansicht auf den Stabsauger von links unten;

Figur 14

einen horizontalen Querschnitt durch die Ladestation mit eingesetztem Staubsauger auf Höhe des mit dem Steckverbinder verbundenen Gegensteckverbinders;

Figur 15

einen Ausschnitt eines vertikalen Querschnitt durch die Ladestation mit eingesetztem Staubsauger im Bereich des mit dem Steckverbinder verbundenen Gegensteckverbinders; und

Figur 16

den Ausschnitt der Ladestation mit eingesetztem Staubsauger im Bereich des mit dem Steckverbinder verbundenen Gegensteckverbinders aufgerissen.

It shows schematically:

Figure 1a

a vacuum cleaner according to the invention in side view;

Figure 1b

the vacuum cleaner Figure 1a in perspective view from the top left;

Figure 2

the vacuum cleaner of the aforementioned figures in a longitudinal cross section through a vertical sectional plane;

Figure 3a

a charging station according to the invention in a perspective view;

Figure 3b

the charging station Figure 3a in a longitudinal cross section through a vertical cutting plane

Figure 4

two views of the charging station according to the invention with accessories in a perspective view;

Figure 5

in perspective view the system of vacuum cleaner and charging station in an arrangement in which the vacuum cleaner is inserted into the charging station, with accessories attached to the charging station;

Figure 6

the system shown in the aforementioned figure, now shown in a longitudinal cross section by a vertical cutting plane and without accessories;

Figure 7

the system shown in the aforementioned figure in a sectional view, this time with the vacuum cleaner raised in the charging station;

Figure 8

the system shown in the aforementioned figure in a sectional view, this time with a vacuum cleaner completely separate from the charging station;

Figure 9

one with Figure 6 corresponding perspective view;

Figure 10

one with Figure 7 corresponding perspective view;

Figure 11

one with Figure 8 corresponding perspective view;

Figure 12

a view of the charging station from above and in perspective from the top left;

Figure 13

a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner from the bottom left;

Figure 14

a horizontal cross section through the charging station with a vacuum cleaner inserted at the level of the mating connector connected to the connector;

Figure 15

a detail of a vertical cross section through the charging station with inserted vacuum cleaner in the area of the mating connector connected to the connector; and

Figure 16

the cutout of the charging station with inserted vacuum cleaner in the area of the mating connector connected to the connector.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

In the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, identical reference symbols designate identical or comparable components.

In the Figures 1a and 1b the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the invention is shown from the outside. The vacuum cleaner 1 has a handle 2 so that it can be held in the hand. In addition, a removable electrical battery pack 3 is provided (shown in the figures only without the actual battery elements), which supplies a blower motor (not shown in the figures) with a motor-blower unit 4 of the vacuum cleaner. The battery pack 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is designed to be interchangeable and can be inserted obliquely from the rear in an insertion direction into the receptacle of the vacuum cleaner 1 provided for this purpose. In the opposite direction, an accumulator 3 held in the receptacle a removal direction can be removed from the receptacle, the removal direction being opposite to the insertion direction. The blower motor can be switched on and off via a gun switch 5. With a boost or turbo button 6, the blower motor can be temporarily operated at a particularly high speed. Below the motor-blower unit 4 there is a blow-out opening 7 for the suction air emerging from the motor-blower unit 4.

In addition, the vacuum cleaner has a generally upright centrifugal separator 8. This centrifugal separator 8 is arranged essentially parallel to the motor-blower unit 4, which is also arranged upright. On the centrifugal separator 8, namely in its upper area, a suction nozzle 9 is provided, with which suction air can be drawn into the centrifugal separator 8. The suction nozzle 9 is essentially tubular, the longitudinal axis of the tube being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the centrifugal separator 8. At the end of the suction connector 9 facing away from the centrifugal separator 8, different suction nozzles 10 (in Figures 4 and 5 shown) or a suction pipe 11 (also in Figures 4 and 5 shown) are attached. As in Figure 2 recognizable, the upper part of the centrifugal separator 9 serves as a separating device. When the blower motor is switched on, suction air is sucked in through the suction port 9 in an inflow direction to the centrifugal separator 8 and circles downwards in the centrifugal separator 8, whereby the centrifugal force can separate dust and liquids which, due to gravity, fall into the lower part of the centrifugal separator 8, which serves as a dust collector. The air which has already been partially freed of dust in this way now passes through a filter 12, as a result of which further dust and other components can be removed from the air. As a rule, these components also fall from the filter 12 into the dust collecting container following gravity. The air passes through the filter 12 into the motor-blower unit 4 of the vacuum cleaner 1 and is blown out through the blow-out opening 7 of the vacuum cleaner 1.

As also in Figure 2 as in Figure 13 recognizable, the vacuum cleaner 1 has on its bottom surface a pocket in the form of a T-groove 13 which is open towards the front but closed to the rear. The closed end of the T-groove 13 forms a stop 14 in which there is an opening 15 through which a plug connector arranged in the interior of the vacuum cleaner 1 in the form of a hollow plug socket 16 is accessible. The Hollow plug socket 16 is good in the Figures 15 and 16 recognizable. The plug-in direction of the hollow plug socket 16 runs slightly inclined against the inflow direction into which suction air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner 1. The undercuts of the T-groove 13 form blocking areas which, as in Figure 13 recognizable, are equipped with insertion bevels 17 at the open end of the T-slot.

The charging station 18 is in one Figure 12 Easily recognizable T-shaped slide 19 equipped with which the charging station 18 engages in the T-groove 13. The carriage 19 is also equipped with insertion bevels 20 on its upper side, with which it enters the T-groove 13. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is inserted into the charging station 18, the inner surfaces of the T-bar of the carriage 19 engage behind the locking surfaces of the T-slot 13. The front of the carriage 19 abuts the stop 14 of the T-slot when the vacuum cleaner 1 is inserted into the charging station 18 13 of the vacuum cleaner 1. At the front of the carriage 19 there is also a mating connector of the charging station 18, which is designed as a hollow plug 21 and whose plug direction points upwards. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is inserted into the charging station 18, the hollow plug 21 is inserted through the opening 15 in the stop 14 into the hollow plug socket 16. This is in Figures 6 . 14 . 15 and 16 shown.

The charging station 18 can be mounted on a wall, for which purpose it is equipped with mounting holes 22, of which in Figure 15 one is shown. It also has an in Figure 12 well recognizable shell 23, which, as in Figures 6 and 9 shown, can accommodate the lower part of the centrifugal separator 8. On its underside, the charging station 18 is equipped with cylinder sections which are open at the bottom and to which, as in FIGS Figures 4 and 5 shown, suction nozzles 10, suction pipes 11 and other accessories for storage can be plugged on from below. In an embodiment not shown in the figures, the charging station 18 also has a receptacle for an accumulator that is separate from the receptacle for the vacuum cleaner. This receptacle for the accumulator is equipped with a counter-charging connection for a charging connection of the accumulator, so that the accumulator is independent of the vacuum cleaner 1, e.g. B. if it has been removed from the charging station for vacuum cleaner 1, can be charged. This receptacle can, for example, be provided at the upper end of the charging station 18 at the same level as the accumulator 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 when the vacuum cleaner 1 is inserted into the charging station 18.

The sectional drawings 6, 7 and 8 and the corresponding perspective representations 9, 10 and 11 show how the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed upwards from the charging station 18 or vice versa from above into the charging station 18. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the charging station 18, the carriage 19 of the charging station 18 slides out of the T-slot. In the same way, the hollow plug 21 slides out of the hollow plug socket 18 until the charging station 18 and vacuum cleaner 1 as well as the hollow plug socket 16 and the hollow plug 21 are separated from one another. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is inserted into the charging station 1 from above, the T-slot 13 slides over the slide 19, which is facilitated by the insertion bevels 20. T-slot 13 and slide 19 align the vacuum cleaner 1 with respect to the charging station 18 in such a way that the hollow plug socket 16 can slide over the hollow plug 21 and thus establish a secure electrical connection. The system according to the invention is simple in construction and handling; in particular, a convenient recharging of the vacuum cleaner is made possible.

The features disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings may be of importance both individually and in any combination for the implementation of the invention in its various embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

vacuum cleaner

2

handle

3

Battery Pack

4

Motor-fan unit

5

gun switch

6

Boost or Turbo button

7

exhaust vent

8th

cyclone

9

suction

10

suction nozzle

11

suction tube

12

filter

13

T-slot

14

attack

15

opening

16

Cinch interface

18

charging station

19

carriage

20

Sledge lead-in

21

Hohlstecker

22

mounting hole

23

Bowl

Claims (12)

1. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) with a suction nozzle (9), through which suction air is drawn into the vacuum cleaner (1) in an inflow direction in the intended use of the vacuum cleaner (1), an electrical rechargeable battery (3) for operating the motor of a motor-fan unit (4) of the vacuum cleaner (1) and a plug connector (16) for charging the electrical rechargeable battery (3), wherein the plug connector (16) has an intended plug direction along an axis which extends in parallel with the inflow direction or encloses an angle of less than 45° therewith, characterised in that the plug connector (16) is arranged on the vacuum cleaner (1) such that it can be accessed via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner (1).
2. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) with a suction nozzle (9), through which suction air is drawn into the vacuum cleaner (1) in an inflow direction in the intended use of the vacuum cleaner (1), an electrical rechargeable battery (3) for operating the motor of a motor-fan unit (4) of the vacuum cleaner (1) and a plug connector (16) for charging the electrical rechargeable battery (3), wherein the plug connector (16) has an intended plug direction, characterised in that the plug connector (16) is designed and arranged on the vacuum cleaner (1) such that the intended plug direction of the plug connector (16) runs counter to the inflow direction or encloses an angle of more than 135° therewith.
3. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the plug connector (16) is arranged on the vacuum cleaner (1) such that it can be accessed via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner (1).
4. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the plug connector (16) has a socket or a pin.
5. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that electrical contacts of the plug connector (16) are arranged inside the vacuum cleaner (1).
6. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the plug connector (16) is arranged in a bottom-side pocket of the vacuum cleaner (1).
7. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vacuum cleaner (1) has at least one upward-facing blocking area formed by at least one indentation on its bottom side, which blocking area is accessible via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner (1).
8. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the indentation is equipped with a lead-in chamfer (17).
9. Handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vacuum cleaner (1) has at least one end stop (14) on its bottom side which generally faces forward and is accessible via the bottom side of the vacuum cleaner (1).
10. System, comprising a handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 and a charging station (18) for the handheld rechargeable battery-operated vacuum cleaner (1), characterised in that the vacuum cleaner (1) and the charging station (18) are embodied such that the vacuum cleaner (1) can be placed in the charging station (18) in a way in which the plug connector (16) of the vacuum cleaner (1) and the mating plug connector (21) of the charging station (18) are connected in a current-conducting manner.
11. System according to claim 10, characterised in that the vacuum cleaner (1) can be cradled in the charging station (18) generally from above, in an orientation with the front side generally facing downward, wherein the mating plug connector (21) is designed and arranged on the charging station (18) such that the intended plug direction of the mating plug connector (21) runs generally upward.
12. System according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the rechargeable battery can be removed from the vacuum cleaner (1), the rechargeable battery (3) has an electrical charging port, a receptacle for a rechargeable battery, which is separate from the receptacle for the vacuum cleaner, is provided on the charging station (18) and this receptacle for the rechargeable battery is equipped with a mating charging port for the rechargeable battery.

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