EP3514286B1 - Vacuum cleaner nozzle and method for operating a vacuum cleaner nozzle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle for a floor or upright vacuum cleaner and a method for operating the vacuum cleaner nozzle according to the preamble of the independent claims.

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle for a floor or upright vacuum cleaner, as for example with the subject matter of US 5,500,979 A1 has become known. The content of this publication as well as the content of the parallel DE 44 11 526 A1 are part of the present description of the invention.

Cleaning hard surfaces such as B. streets or sidewalk surfaces or the cleaning of hard floors indoors requires a suction device with an air flow with high power.

When using a vacuum cleaner, a flow rate in the range of 30 to 40 liters per second is required for effective cleaning of hard floors, which requires an output in the range between 900 to 1500 watts of an associated suction fan.

The subject of the US 5,500,979 A1 the brush roller used on the front is designed in such a way that it has to convey the coarse and fine dirt picked up from the bottom via an elevated conveyor line into a downstream container, which is associated with increased suction pressure and undesirable noise emissions.

The WO 03/007776 A1 discloses a vacuum cleaner nozzle for a vacuum cleaner with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

If the suction pressure on the brush roller is not high enough on the part of the suction fan used, the brush roller will not succeed in conveying the coarse dirt picked up in the form of stones or other heavy, non-airworthy objects into the downstream collecting container.

Accordingly, there is the disadvantage with such vacuum cleaner nozzles that the power of the suction fan must always be selected so high that even heavy, picked up objects must be made airworthy due to the suction pressure applied in order to be transported to a downstream collecting container, which requires high energy consumption and a undesired noise emission of the suction fan.

The invention is based on the object of developing a method for operating and a vacuum cleaner nozzle for a floor or upright vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the suction fan used for this purpose operates with significantly lower energy expenditure and lower noise emissions.

To solve the problem posed, a device is characterized by the subject matter of independent claim 1. The device is operated according to a method according to independent claim 3.

A vacuum cleaner nozzle is proposed, in the housing of which - essentially at the same level or only slightly increased - to the level on which the coarse or fine dirt to be picked up is stored, an intermediate container is connected, which is intended for the temporary storage of coarse dirt that is temporarily inaccessible .

Thus, the invention provides that an intermediate container is integrated into the housing of a vacuum cleaner nozzle, which is located in the air flow of the suction fan and which is intended to receive only the coarse dirt that cannot fly under the effect of the current, reduced suction pressure, while the fine dirt is transported immediately over this intermediate container - also under the effect of the reduced suction pressure - into a collecting container provided on the repository side.

The idea of the invention is to operate the suction fan of the vacuum cleaner in such a way that it only works with a reduced air speed, with only little energy being emitted due to the reduced air speed Suction fan is consumed. The noise level is correspondingly reduced.

Due to the reduced and consequently low air speed, only the rotating brush roller can still pick up the fine and coarse dirt. The suction pressure is just sufficient to fill the intermediate container, which is arranged essentially at the same level or at a slightly higher level, with the coarse dirt that cannot fly. The filling is done on the one hand by the mechanical energy of the brush roller, which is only slightly supported by the reduced suction pressure.

The fine dirt, on the other hand, is conveyed through (or away) this intermediate container at the reduced suction pressure and is taken up in a downstream collecting container on the repository side.

Halving the air flow for a vacuum cleaner nozzle means that the suction fan used only needs a quarter of the energy normally consumed. For this reason, the suction power of the suction fan is greatly reduced during the largest period of operation of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (normal operation), because the reduced suction power should just be sufficient to convey the fine dirt picked up into the collecting container provided on the repository side, while the coarse dirt picked up, due to the low, used air speed is not airworthy and is received in an intermediate container arranged in the housing of the dirt collecting device or the vacuum cleaner nozzle.

During most of the cleaning time, the airflow and noise level are low and the energy consumption of the suction fan is reduced. Only when the intermediate container has to be emptied does the air flow of the suction fan have to be increased by a factor of 1.5 to 2 and, accordingly, the performance of the fan.

Therefore, the suction fan only works with its maximum energy consumption for the purpose of emptying the intermediate container of coarse dirt that has passed through the increased air speed is now made airworthy and is transported into the downstream collection container intended for final disposal.

The volume of the collecting container provided on the repository side is many times greater than the volume of the intermediate container, a volume ratio of 1: 5 being preferred.

One or more sensors that detect the level of coarse dirt are preferably arranged in the intermediate container. Such sensors can either work without contact (optical, ultrasonic, inductive, capacitive) or they can detect the filling level in the intermediate container using suitable, spring-loaded sensors.

Because the intermediate container is filled with coarse dirt that is temporarily not flyable (while the reduced suction pressure is active), the air flow of the suction fan is increased for the purpose of emptying the intermediate container and the air flow now operating in the intermediate container at high air speed makes the coarse dirt stored there flyable and transports it in the often larger collection tank provided on the repository side, which is connected to the intermediate container in an air-tight manner and is usually arranged in an elevated position above the intermediate container.

The maximum output of the suction fan requires a certain air speed, which is also referred to as the transport speed, the size of which depends on the weight and dimensions of the deposits (coarse dirt) in the intermediate container.

For a vacuum cleaner nozzle, the area in the suction air flow of the suction fan should be between 1 and 5 x 10 ^-3 m2.

The advantage of the intermediate container integrated in the vacuum cleaner nozzle is that only a low air flow is necessary to transport the dirt from the receiving level into the vacuum cleaner nozzle, because it is the largest Funding share in this activity takes place from the brush roller of the vacuum cleaner nozzle.

The level sensor located in the intermediate container thus controls the performance of the suction fan. As an alternative, a regulation can also be provided in which the suction fan is regulated in its output as a function of the filling level in the intermediate container.

Alternatively, a viewing window i can be arranged in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, through which the operator can visually check the filling of the intermediate container.

In relation to the energy consumption of a vacuum cleaner, which is designed either as a cylinder vacuum cleaner or as a floor-standing vacuum cleaner, it results that in normal operation an output of only 250 watts is required and the output is temporarily or briefly increased to 900 watts only to empty the intermediate container.

The subject matter of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another.

All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the summary, in particular the spatial configuration shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention insofar as they are new, individually or in combination, compared to the state of the art.

Insofar as individual items are designated as "essential to the invention" or "important", this does not mean that these items must necessarily form the subject of an independent claim. This is determined solely by the currently valid version of the independent patent claim.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to drawings showing only one embodiment. Further features and advantages of the invention that are essential to the invention emerge from the drawings and their description.

Figur 1:

die Draufsicht auf eine Staubsaugerdüse mit drehend angetriebener Bürstenwalze

Figur 2:

der Schnitt durch die Staubsaugerdüse nach Figur 1

Figur 3:

schematisiert die Darstellung der Sensorsignale des Füllstandsensors im Zwischenbehälter nach Figur 2

Figur 4:

der intermittierende Energieverbrauch des Sauggebläses für einen Staubsauger

Figur 5:

die Luftgeschwindigkeit eines Sauggebläses für einen Staubsauger im intermittierenden Betrieb

Show it:

Figure 1:

the top view of a vacuum cleaner nozzle with a rotating brush roller

Figure 2:

the cut through the vacuum cleaner nozzle Figure 1

Figure 3:

schematically shows the representation of the sensor signals of the level sensor in the intermediate container Figure 2

Figure 4:

the intermittent energy consumption of the suction fan for a vacuum cleaner

Figure 5:

the air speed of a suction fan for a vacuum cleaner in intermittent operation

For the sake of simplicity, when describing the operation of the cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner, reference was not made to the suction fan and a collecting container used for this purpose. Information in this regard is part of the disclosure of the aforementioned US 5,500,979 A1 . Reference is made to the description there.

In particular, FIG. 14 there shows a complete representation of an upright vacuum cleaner with a suction fan, a collecting container and an associated fine filter. All of these parts are also part of the present invention.

The Figures 1 and 2 show the application of the principle of the invention to a vacuum cleaner nozzle 60.

In the exemplary embodiment of in Figures 1 and 2 illustrated vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 relates to a floor standing vacuum cleaner, for example in the US 5,500,979 A1 is described.

The vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 essentially consists of a housing 63 which is closed on all sides and which has a rear wall 66 and adjoining side walls 67, the front side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 being closed off by a front wall 78.

The upper side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 is formed by a closed top wall 68.

In the front area of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, a brush roller 61 is arranged in the housing 63 and is driven to rotate in an axis of rotation 75. The brush roller 61 runs essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis through the vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 and is equipped with individual brushes 74.

According to FIG. 7, the brush roller 61 operates in a receiving space 76 which is open downwards in the direction of a carpet pile 73. Of course, the carpet pile can be replaced by a hard floor surface.

Thus, the suction fan, not shown in detail (see US 5,500,979 A1 ) The suction pressure exerted, which is introduced into the housing 63 via the connecting channel 3, into the receiving space 76.

The brushes 74 driven in rotation there comb out the hard surface to be cleaned or the carpet pile 73 and convey the coarse and fine dirt 17, 18 stored there in the direction of arrow 43 using the throw-over principle over the brush roller 61 into a downstream intermediate container 70.

The vacuum cleaner nozzle 60 shown there is thus designed as a dirt collecting device 62 and essentially consists of the rotating brush roller 61, which collects the coarse and fine dirt captured in the receiving space 76 promotes to the rear of the housing in an intermediate container 70. The rotary drive of the brush roller 61 is shown in FIG. For this purpose, a motor 64 is used which, via its drive shaft 65, drives a belt drive 69 which runs over the brush roller 61 and drives it to rotate.

A shaft 72 is assigned to the belt drive 69.

The intermediate container 70 is formed by a bottom surface 71 which is divided towards the front by an end wall 77. Although it is not shown in the drawing, it is provided that the end wall 77 is slightly increased.

Thus, the intermediate container 70 is approximately trough-shaped and open at the top and is primarily intended for receiving coarse dirt 17. Such coarse dirt in vacuum cleaner nozzles 60 of the type mentioned are z. B. small pebbles or other non-airworthy objects that cannot be transported into the downstream collection container due to the low suction pressure applied. They are therefore deposited in the intermediate container 70 at the reduced suction pressure during normal operation, and the fill level in the intermediate container 70 is monitored by a fill level sensor 49.

As soon as the level in the intermediate container 70 has reached a certain level, the suction power of the suction fan is increased by about double to three times compared to normal operation, so that the coarse dirt particles deposited in the intermediate container 70 in the direction of arrow 21 via the connecting channel 30 in a no closer to convey shown, downstream collecting channel on the repository side.

It is also provided here that, even when the low negative pressure existing in normal operation is applied, the negative pressure is selected such that the fine dirt 18 picked up is always conveyed in the direction of arrow 21 into the downstream collecting container, not shown in detail.

The intermediate container 70 is therefore essentially only intended for the intermediate storage of the coarse dirt 17 that has been picked up and is conveyed by the brush roller 61 in the direction of arrow 43 into the intermediate container 70.

The Figure 3 now shows in schematic form that the fill level of the fill level sensor 49 in the intermediate container 70 is monitored and if the fill level exceeds a certain maximum level, a sensor signal 52 is generated in the period between t1 and t2.
Normal operation takes place in the period from 0 to t1 and also in the period between t2 and t3.

The periods for normal operation between 0 and t1 and t2 and t3 are only shown in abbreviated form. In reality, it is a question of periods of time that have been stretched significantly apart. This is shown with the formulas entered in the drawings. The operating time in normal operation is t _B , while the operating time in cleaning operation is t _C.

The Figure 4 shows in the energy consumption of a suction fan for a vacuum cleaner nozzle 60, in which it can also be seen that in the period between 0 and t1 only the suction fan requires an energy of 250 watts and the suction power to a value of 900 only to empty the intermediate container 70 of coarse dirt 17 Watt is increased.

Here, too, it goes without saying that the specified watt numbers are only to be understood as examples, because the relationship between the minimum energy consumption and the maximum energy consumption of the suction fan used is more important.

Accordingly, the Figure 5 combined with Figure 4 that in normal operation only in the area of the suction nozzle a suction air flow of z. B. 10l / s prevails, while the suction air flow is increased to 40 l / s in the emptying mode.

Drawing legend

3

Connection channel

17th

Coarse dirt

18th

Fine dirt

21st

Arrow direction

30th

Support and drive unit

43

Arrow direction

49

Level sensor

52

Sensor signal

60

Vacuum cleaner nozzle

61

Brush roller

62

Dirt collecting device

63

casing

64

engine

65

drive shaft

66

Back wall

67

Side wall

68

Top wall

69

Belt drive

70

Intermediate container

71

Floor area

72

wave

73

Carpet pile

74

Brush (of 61)

75

Axis of rotation

76

Receiving space (for brush roller)

77

Front wall

78

Front wall

Claims (5)

1. Cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner with a vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) consisting of a housing (63) which can be pushed over the floor, in which at least one brush roller (61) is arranged and is driven for rotation, which roller removes the fine dirt (18) from the floor and transports same into a dirt collection container supported by a suction air flow from a suction fan, wherein the housing (63) of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) has a tub-shaped intermediate container (70) lying in the suction air flow from the suction fan, which container is intended for the temporary interim storage of heavy dirt (17) particles which cannot be entrained in the air, characterized in that the suction blower can be regulated in respect of speed of rotation and/or performance and is designed to perform the following steps:

   1.1 in a first step, which corresponds to a normal operation, the suction performance of the suction fan is set so low that the suction pressure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) is just sufficient to convey the heavy dirt (17) particles picked up into an intermediate container (70) and to hold same there and to convey the fine dirt (18) picked up into a downstream collection container,

   1.2 in a second step, the fill level of heavy dirt (17) particles collected in the intermediate container (70) is acquired, and

   1.3 in a third step, which corresponds to emptying, when the level in the intermediate container (70) exceeds a limit, the suction power of the suction fan is increased in such a manner that it is possible to entrain the heavy dirt (17) particles temporarily stored in the intermediate container (70) in the air and same are conveyed into the downstream collection container.
2. Vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that the brush roller (61) is disposed in a receiving chamber (76) which is sealed on all sides and open only on the floor side and there picks up the heavy and fine dirt (17, 18) and conveys same into the intermediate container (70) downstream in the airflow, which is only intended to receive the heavy dirt (17), and in that the fine dirt (18) is conveyed by the suction air flow of the suction fan through a connecting duct (3) into a collection container which constitutes the final storage location.
3. Method for operating a cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner nozzle (60), characterized in that
   a suction fan, which can be regulated in respect of rotational speed and/or performance, is used,

   3.1 in a first method step, which corresponds to a normal operation, the suction performance of the suction fan is set so low that the suction pressure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) is just sufficient to convey the heavy dirt (17) particles picked up into an intermediate container (70) and to hold same there and to convey the fine dirt (18) picked up into a downstream collection container,

   3.2 in a second method step, the fill level of heavy dirt (17) particles collected in the intermediate container (70) is acquired,

   3.3 and in a third method step, which corresponds to emptying, when the level in the intermediate container (70) exceeds a limit, the suction power of the suction fan is increased in such a manner that it is possible to entrain the heavy dirt (17) particles temporarily stored in the intermediate container (70) in the air and same are conveyed into the downstream collection container.
4. Method in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the energy consumption of the suction fan for the operation of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (60) is approximately trebled from the first method step 3.1, normal operation, to the third method step 3.3, emptying operation.
5. Method in accordance with one of the claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the area of the vacuum cleaner nozzle located in the suction air flow from the suction fan is in the range between 1 to 5 x 10^-3 m2.

Images