EP4669179A1

EP4669179A1 - VACUUM CLEANER SYSTEM, VACUUM CLEANER, CLEANING STATION AND PROCEDURE

Info

Publication number: EP4669179A1
Application number: EP23708716.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josef ISAKSSON; Peter MIAN; Sandra LAKSJÖ SVENSSON; Jan-Erik RUNGE
Original assignee: Electrolux AB
Current assignee: Electrolux AB
Priority date: 2023-02-24
Filing date: 2023-02-24
Publication date: 2025-12-31
Also published as: WO2024175209A1; CN120676894A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner system, comprising a vacuum cleaner (1), having a primary motor-fan assembly (5, 7) configured to create an air flow (9) during use, that leads dust-laden air in a first direction through a dust chamber (15) collecting the dust, and a cleaning station (31), configured to empty the dust chamber (15) of the vacuum cleaner into a container (33). The vacuum cleaner (1) comprises an auxiliary motor-fan combination (17, 19) configured to create an air flow through the dust chamber (15) in a second, reversed direction and trough the cleaning station (31), such that dust is moved from the dust chamber (15) to the cleaning station (31).

Description

VACUUM CLEANER SYSTEM, VACUUM CLEANER, CLEANING STATION, AND METHOD

Field of the invention

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner system, comprising a vacuum cleaner, having a primary motor-fan assembly configured to create an air flow during use that leads dust-laden air in a first direction through a dust chamber collecting the dust, and a cleaning station, configured to empty the dust chamber of the vacuum cleaner into the cleaning station.

The disclosure further relates to a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning station and a method.

Technical background

Such a vacuum cleaner system is described for instance in US-11006797-B1 , which discloses a cleaning station with an accommodation space where a full dust chamber of a vacuum cleaner is docked. A motor-driven fan in the cleaning station empties the dust chamber such that it can again be used in a vacuum cleaner.

A general problem associated with such vacuum cleaner systems is to obtain a system that is efficient in use at a low cost.

Summary of the invention

One object of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a vacuum cleaner system at a reasonable cost that can provide a high efficiency in use.

This object is achieved with a vacuum cleaner system as defined in claim 1 . More particularly, in a vacuum cleaner system of the initially mentioned kind, the vacuum cleaner comprises an auxiliary motor-fan combination configured to create an air flow through the dust chamber in a second, reversed direction and trough the cleaning station, such that dust is moved from the dust chamber to the cleaning station.

By means of this arrangement, the auxiliary motor-fan combination in the vacuum cleaner can be used for vacuum cleaning as well as for emptying the dust chamber. This means that no motor need be included in the cleaning station itself, which can be entirely passive, and can be placed in a location without a power outlet. This reduces production costs by eliminating a motor that would only be used very intermittently, perhaps only a few seconds per day. At the same time, the use of an auxiliary motor-fan combination in the vacuum cleaner itself makes the vacuum cleaner much more powerful. Thereby, an efficient vacuum cleaner system can be accomplished at a lower cost.

The cleaning station may comprise a container, preferably having a dust bag.

The cleaning station may comprise a charger for the vacuum cleaner, which is useful if the vacuum cleaner is battery-operated.

The vacuum cleaner may comprise a main tube, connecting a nozzle with the dust chamber, and an auxiliary tube, connecting the dust chamber to an outlet, and the auxiliary motor/fan combination may be located in the auxiliary tube. The auxiliary motor/fan combination may be located close to the outlet, and the main and auxiliary tubes may run substantially in parallel.

The auxiliary tube may comprise a blocking valve sealing the auxiliary tube when placed in the cleaning station, and an opening valve opening a connection to the cleaning station when the blocking valve is active, thereby opening a connection to the cleaning station when the dust chamber is emptied.

The primary motor/fan combination may be turned off when the dust chamber is emptied, thus relying on the auxiliary motor/fan combination for this process.

The present disclosure also considers a vacuum cleaner and a cleaning station as defined above.

In a vacuum cleaner the auxiliary motor/fan combination may be located close to the second air outlet, and the first and second outlets may be separated by at least 300 mm.

The present disclosure further considers a method in a vacuum cleaner system, the system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a cleaning station, the method being used for emptying a vacuum cleaner dust chamber of the vacuum cleaner into a container of the cleaning station. An air flow is created from the vacuum cleaner dust chamber through the cleaning station by means of an auxiliary motor-fan combination in the vacuum cleaner, such that dust is moved from the dust chamber to the cleaning station. Brief description of the drawings

Fig 1 shows a vacuum cleaner.

Fig 2 illustrates the vacuum cleaner of fig 1 with a removed tube/nozzle.

Fig 3 shows a cleaning station for a vacuum cleaner system.

Fig 4 illustrates the vacuum cleaner connected to the cleaning station.

Detailed description

The present disclosure relates generally to vacuum cleaners, fig 1 illustrating one example of a vacuum cleaner 1 of the so-called stick- or upright type. Generally, as is well known, a vacuum cleaner may include a nozzle 3 that can be moved over for instance a floor surface to remove dust therefrom. A primary motor 5 and fan 7 combination creates a main air flow 9 through a main tube 10 leading to the nozzle 3 forming an area 11 with reduced pressure under the nozzle 3 that draws dust particles and the like into the air flow 9. Those particles are then separated from the air flow 9, for instance as illustrated using a filter 13. It should be noted that other separating means could be used, such as a cyclone. Thereby, the separated dust ends up in a dust chamber 15. Once the air flow has passed the filter or other separation means, the air flow moves through the motor 5 and fan 7 combination and through a first outlet 12 to exit the vacuum cleaner 1.

So far described, the vacuum cleaner 1 is configured in a manner that has been in widespread use for several decades. In the following, improvements thereto are described in the present disclosure.

To start with, the vacuum cleaner 1 is provided with an auxiliary motor-fan combination 17, 19 configured to create an auxiliary air flow 21 through an auxiliary tube 23. The auxiliary motor/fan combination 17, 19 may be located in the auxiliary tube 23 close to the outlet 20 of the latter, e.g. in the lower half or third of the auxiliary tube 23. As illustrated, the auxiliary tube 23 may be arranged more or less in parallel with the main tube 10, although this is not necessary. Note that the air flow directions are different in the two tubes 10, 23. At the top of the auxiliary tube 23 it connects to the dust chamber 15 either directly or via an intermediate member. The auxiliary air flow 21 connects with the main air flow 9, thereby increasing the same. The auxiliary air flow 21 starts at the nozzle 3 and is connected with the main air flow 9 until passing the filter 13 or other separation means. Thereafter, the main air flow 9 and the auxiliary air flow 21 are separated. The main air flow 9 continues through the primary motor 5 and fan 7 combination and to the first air outlet 12. The auxiliary air flow 21 continues through the auxiliary motor 17 and fan 19 combination and exit through a second air outlet 20. Thanks to this configuration, the resulting, combined air flow 9, 21 becomes much greater without the provision of a larger and louder motor. Further, as the auxiliary motor 17 can be placed closer to the nozzle 3, weight distribution over the vacuum cleaner 1 as a whole becomes more even which makes the vacuum cleaner 1 more balanced and pleasant to use. The first and second outlets may be separated by at least 300 mm.

However, the vacuum cleaner can also be used without the auxiliary motor- and fan combination 17, 19. Fig 2 illustrates the vacuum cleaner T of fig 1 with a removed main tube 10 and nozzle 3, where also the auxiliary tube 23 including the auxiliary motor 17 and fan 19 have been removed. Then, the vacuum cleaner T is operated only using the air flow 9 created by the primary motor 5 and fan 7 combination. This compact arrangement is useful for vacuum cleaning in narrow spaces, e.g. in a car, where the complete vacuum cleaner may be too large. It is possible to replace the main tube 10 with a smaller brush (not shown), for instance. In this case, a valve 25 is shut where the auxiliary tube 23 would otherwise be connected, so that a main inlet 27 is not bypassed. This can be accomplished automatically by a function where the auxiliary tube 23 being removed activates the valve 25, or by the valve only allowing flow in one direction, downwards as illustrated in the drawing.

Fig 3 shows a cleaning station 31 for a vacuum cleaner system. The cleaning station 31 in this disclosure can be completely passive, meaning that the cleaning station itself does not need a motor or even moving parts. This allows placing the cleaning station 31 at a location were there is no access to a power outlet, or even in a location unsuitable for providing such an outlet, e.g. a dirty or moist location, or outdoors.

However, in other cases it may be desired to combine the cleaning station 31 with a vacuum cleaner charger 32, for instance in the case the vacuum cleaner 1 is battery operated. This means that the cleaning process, i.e. the emptying of the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15 can take place at the same time as the charging of the vacuum cleaner, although it is noted that the cleaning process per se need only take a few seconds. The cleaning station 31 comprises a container 33 for collected dust, typically one that is several times larger than the aforementioned dust chamber 15. Optionally, a dust bag 34 can be arranged in the container 33 for convenient collection of the dust.

Fig 4 illustrates the vacuum cleaner 1 connected to the cleaning station 31 , forming a vacuum cleaner system 50. When connected to the cleaning station 31 , an opening 37 in the bottom of the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15 is created and connects with a corresponding opening 39 in the cleaning station 31. This means that collected dust can be moved from the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15 to the cleaning station, typically to the container 33 thereof.

When the vacuum cleaner 1 is connected to the cleaning station 31 in this way, a reversed air stream 41 , 55 is created to facilitate the emptying of the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15. The air stream 41 thus flows in the opposite direction through the dust chamber 15 as compared to during normal use.

This is achieved by means of the auxiliary motor/fan combination 17, 19 operating in a reversed mode. That is, the motor/fan combination 17, 19 itself produces an air flow as in the vacuum cleaning mode, but the air is led differently through the system when connected to the cleaning station 31 .

When connected to the cleaning station 31 , the flow through the upper part of the auxiliary tube 23 becomes blocked by a blocking valve 45. This blocking valve 45 may be operated mechanically when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the cleaning station, for instance being activated by an actuator or a magnetic function on a cleaning station, but it would also be possible to activate the blocking valve 45 electronically. In any case, in this mode the auxiliary tube 23 becomes blocked such that air does not flow through its upper part.

At the same time, an opening is created by another valve 47 in the face of the auxiliary tube that faces an opening 51 in the cleaning station 31 , in between the motor/fan combination 17, 19 and the blocking valve 45. This opening as well may be activated by an actuator on the cleaning station. It is however also possible to open the valve 47 by means of the negative pressure created by the motor/fan combination 17, 19 when the blocking valve 45 closes the upper part of the auxiliary tube 23. This opening created by the valve 47 coincides with a corresponding opening 51 in the cleaning station 31. Therefore, when the auxiliary motor/fan combination 17, 19 is run, a negative pressure is created in the cleaning station 13, which extracts collected dust from the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15 to the cleaning station container 33. The cleaning station 31 may be provided with a filter 53 or similar, to ensure that collected dust does not enter the auxiliary tube, but remains in the cleaning station container. The filter 53 could be combined with the dust bag 34. This emptying process may continue for a predetermined time or until it is sensed that the cleaning station dust chamber has been emptied, for instance. The cleaning station container 33 is large enough to allow emptying the vacuum cleaner dust chamber 15 several times before the container 33 itself need be emptied, for instance disposing a dust bag 34.

The reversed air stream 41 may flow through the primary motor 5 and fan 7 combination and from the first air outlet 12 in a direction opposite to the direction during normal use. However, it is also possible to let the reversed air stream 41 originate at the nozzle 3, as illustrated by an initially different air stream 55. This air stream 55 is then led through the main tube 10 and let into the dust chamber 15 in the same way as illustrated in fig 1 . It is also possible to provide a dedicated valve 57 letting air into the dust chamber 15 during this procedure. The dedicated valve 57 could be the only air inlet into the dust chamber during the emptying process, or the dedicated valve 57 could be one air inlet in combination with air entering through the nozzle 3 and/or the air outlet 12.

It should be noted that several ways of operating the cleaning process are possible. For instance, the auxiliary motor/fan combination can sense that the vacuum cleaner has been placed in the cleaning station and thereby activate the cleaning process during a predetermined time.

The present disclosure is not restricted to the above-described embodiment and may be varied and altered in different ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1 . A vacuum cleaner system (50), comprising a vacuum cleaner (1 ), having a primary motor-fan assembly (5, 7) configured to create an air flow (9) during use that leads dust-laden air in a first direction through a dust chamber (15), collecting the dust, and a cleaning station (31 ), configured to empty the dust chamber (15) of the vacuum cleaner into the cleaning station (31 ), characterized by the vacuum cleaner (1 ) comprising an auxiliary motor-fan combination (17, 19) configured to create an air flow through the dust chamber (15) in a second, reversed direction and through the cleaning station (31 ), such that dust is moved from the dust chamber (15) to the cleaning station (31 ).

2. Vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning station (31 ) comprising a container (33), preferably comprising a dust bag (34).

3. Vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning station comprises a charger (32) for the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner being battery-operated.

4. Vacuum cleaner system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a main tube (10), connecting a nozzle (11 ) with the dust chamber (15), and an auxiliary tube (23) connecting the dust chamber to an outlet, (20) wherein the auxiliary motor/fan combination (17, 19) is located in the auxiliary tube (23).

5. Vacuum cleaner system according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary motor/fan combination (17, 19) is located close to the outlet (20).

6. Vacuum cleaner system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the main and auxiliary tubes (10, 23) run substantially in parallel.

7. Vacuum cleaner system according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein, the auxiliary tube comprises a blocking valve (45) sealing the auxiliary tube (23) when placed in the cleaning station (31 ), and an opening valve (47) opening a connection to the cleaning station (31 ) when the blocking valve (45) is active, thereby opening a connection to the cleaning station (31 ) when the dust chamber (15) is emptied.

8. Vacuum cleaner system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the primary motor/fan combination (5, 7) is turned off when the dust chamber (15) is emptied.

9. A vacuum cleaner (1 ) having a primary motor-fan combination (5, 7) configured to create an air flow during use that leads dust-laden air in a first direction from a nozzle (3) through a dust chamber (15), that collects the dust, and through the primary motor-fan combination to a first air outlet (12), and an auxiliary motor-fan combination (17, 19) configured to create an air flow from the nozzle (3), through the dust chamber (15), and through the auxiliary motor fan combination (17, 19) to a second air outlet (20), characterized by the auxiliary motor-fan combination (17, 19) being configured to create, in a dust chamber cleaning mode, an air flow through the dust chamber (15) in a second, reversed direction in order to move collected dust to a cleaning station (31 ), thereby emptying the dust chamber (15).

10. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a main tube (10), connecting a nozzle (11 ) with the dust chamber (15), and an auxiliary tube (23) connecting the dust chamber to an outlet (20), wherein the auxiliary motor/fan combination (17, 19) is located in the auxiliary tube close to the outlet (20).

11 . Vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the auxiliary motor/fan combination (17, 19) is located close to the second air outlet (20).

12. Vacuum cleaner according to any of claims 9 - 11 , wherein the the first and second outlets are separated by at least 300 mm.

13. A cleaning station (31 ) for a vacuum cleaner system, the cleaning station comprising a container (33) and an inlet for receiving collected dust from a vacuum cleaner dust chamber (15), characterized by an outlet (51 ) for connecting to an auxiliary motor/fan combination of a vacuum cleaner, creating an air flow from the inlet through the container (33).

14. Cleaning station according to claim 13, wherein the cleaning station comprises a charger (32) for charging the vacuum cleaner.

15. A method in a vacuum cleaner system, the system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a cleaning station, the method being used for emptying a vacuum cleaner dust chamber of the vacuum cleaner into a container of the cleaning station, characterized by creating an air flow from the vacuum cleaner dust chamber through the cleaning station by means of an auxiliary motor-fan combination (13) in the vacuum cleaner, such that dust is moved from the dust chamber (15) to the cleaning station.