FR2968185A1 - Suction device for vacuum cleaner, has dust collector including water reservoir, plunger for removing bubbles when air arrives from air inlet, and air duct removably connected to suction motor - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has an air inlet and an air outlet upstream and downstream of a suction motor, respectively. A dust collector (182) connected to the air inlet includes a water reservoir, a plunger for removing bubbles when air arrives from the air inlet, and an air duct removably connected to the suction motor, where the air duct is provided in a position to prevent the passage of water towards the suction motor. A strap (240) is provided to carry the device.

Description

The present invention is directed to a suction device. It applies, in particular, to domestic and professional vacuum cleaners and hoods and to air conditioning, humidification, dehumidification, smoke extraction, ionization, mechanically controlled ventilation and essential oil diffusion systems. The suction devices, whatever the objectives, are made of closed bodies, whether they are stylized bodies body stylized or a simple technical envelope, and make inaccessible to the user all the parts where the air circulates. However, the air contains vegetable, mineral or organic impurities, some of which, when placed under conditions specific to their cultures, develop and proliferate, or by amalgam, cause the activation of some of them which do not were not before being sucked. Thus accumulated, concentrated or transformed, some of these particles become toxic or allergenic. When the air thus charged is sucked up and because, on the one hand, of the complexity of the bodies of the materials in question and, on the other hand, of the inaccessibility of the latter or the components they contain, these materials capture and trap some of the particles transported by the air and offer conditions of cultivation conducive. Indeed, in addition to the heat naturally released by the thruster of the air compressor, the latter, by a known physical phenomenon when the air is compressed, causes the condensation of the natural moisture of the air in the same places as the air compressor. accumulation of particles. Such a phenomenon is all the more accentuated as the use of the material concerned is cyclical.

Thus, at each resting phase, the cultures highlighted above can reach a level of development as they are driven by the airflow during the restart and, in most cases, expelled from the material in the atmosphere. This atmosphere being that, often, of origin; it follows that the air thus rejected is toxic or at least dirty. The particles emitted are often inferior to the porosity of the lungs of the people, which often results in a sensation of gene up to irritation or any other phenomenon. Some of the existing equipment is equipped with filter HEPA standard to limit the re-emission of these particles but in the absence of maintenance of these filters, either their efficiency decreases or, being obstructed, they cause the reduction of performance of equipment by the

2 limitation of the flow in transit. In addition, to consider the highly volatile nature of particles accumulated or developed in these materials, at the time of maintenance and failing to have isolated the material in a specific place, a large part of these particles, at the opening material and when handling the filter or the elements giving access to it, is released into the atmosphere, thus reproducing the phenomenon that HEPA standard filters try to limit. The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages. For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a suction device, which comprises: - an air suction motor, - air ducts, upstream and downstream of said engine for, respectively, the inlet and the outlet of the sucked air and - a dust collector connected to the air intake pipe and comprising a liquid reservoir, a removable splash plunger into which the air coming from the air duct arrives. inlet and a removable air line connected to the suction motor. Thanks to these provisions, the sucked air is cleaned during its passage in the water. In addition, the plunger and the air duct being removable and independent, their cleaning is facilitated.

According to particular features, the dust collector comprises a liquid retention means preventing the passage of liquid to the suction motor. The preferential verticalization of the dust collection and suction functions by a compressor makes it possible to benefit from gravity to retain the liquid in the dust collector and to prevent the motor from receiving the liquid.

According to particular features, the device which is the subject of the present invention comprises: at least two housing parts separated by at least one seal, said housing parts forming, jointly with each other and / or together with each said seal, air ducts entering and leaving the device and - manually removable carter housing fasteners without tools that secure the housing parts around each said seal. Thanks to these provisions, a user can separate, without tools, the housing parts and clean the air ducts. The risks of accumulation and culture of microorganisms are thus reduced or even eliminated.

According to particular features, the housing parts together form a support for an air suction motor. Thanks to these provisions, even the parts of the engine in contact with the sucked air can be cleaned.

According to particular features, the housing parts together form engine cooling air intake and exhaust lines. Thanks to these arrangements, even the engine cooling lines can be cleaned. According to particular features, the housing parts together form a support for the dust collector conveyed by the sucked air. Thanks to these arrangements, even the dust collector can be cleaned or removed. According to particular characteristics, the motor is positioned vertically to the dust collector. According to features, the device object of the present invention comprises a part joining at least two housing parts around a hinge, said housing parts and said hinge forming a single mechanical piece of continuous material. According to particular features, the device of the present invention comprises an air outlet whose axis is substantially vertical, positioned in the upper half of the device.

Thanks to these provisions, the air leaving the device is blown up and reduces the risk of setting air movement near the ground, which contains more dust. According to features, the device object of the present invention comprises a strap for carrying the device shoulder. Thanks to these provisions, the user can easily transport the device and limit the movement of air, and therefore dust, at ground level. The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages. Other advantages, aims and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description given for an explanatory and non-limiting purpose with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of parts of a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner object of the present invention, - Figure 2 shows a partial section of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in Figure 1 - Figure 3 shows schematically and in perspective, a defined interior volume by two half-casings illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 represents, in perspective, an aspirator comprising the parts illustrated in FIG. 1 integrated into a single industrial piece provided with a hinge; FIGS. 5 and 6 show, schematically and in perspective, two variants of a second embodiment of a vacuum cleaner object of the present invention, - Figure 7 shows, schematically In perspective, parts of the second embodiment of the vacuum cleaner object of the present invention, Figure 8 shows, schematically and in exploded perspective, parts of the second embodiment of the vacuum cleaner object of the present invention. FIG. 9 schematically and in perspective shows the parts illustrated in FIG. 8, once assembled, FIG. 10 schematically represents, in section and in perspective, an assembly of parts of the second embodiment of the vacuum cleaner. object of the present invention and - Figure 11 represents, in the form of a logic diagram, the steps implemented in an embodiment of the method object of the present invention.

The following description presents several embodiments of the present invention, implemented in a suction device. However, the present invention is not limited to these applications but concerns, more generally, domestic and professional vacuum cleaners and hoods, air conditioning, humidification, dehumidification, smoke control, ionization, mechanically controlled ventilation systems. , and diffusion of essential oils. In the embodiment adapted to a mobile vacuum cleaner, a particular assembly of the propulsion and filtration elements of the air in motion is achieved. In addition to the fact that this assembly isolates from the formal envelope of these materials the suction elements, it constitutes an autonomous block easily removable by itself or to extract a larger set. The vacuum cleaner thus constituted does not impose the use of any specific tool for opening or dismounting. This vacuum cleaner contains all the propulsion and air filtration components, upstream of a larger dust collector jar to restore, at its output, a clean air.

Once the vacuum cleaner is opened by the user, all its components are directly accessible, which allows the removal and cleaning. The hull itself can be washed and returned to a state of perfect hygiene.

The location of the components already exposed and the ducts that guide the air along its path as well as the body of the vacuum cleaner limit the accumulation of particles, living or inert, and therefore the possibility of cultures of microorganisms, such as bacteria. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a first embodiment, a vacuum cleaner 102 which is the subject of the present invention essentially comprises a right half-casing 104, a plane seal 106, a motor-compressor unit 108, a flexible holder 110, a filter 112, a dust collector 114 and a left half-casing 116. In addition to these elements, are represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, locking cams and tie rods 130 which secure the two half-casings 104 and 116 around each other. seal 106 and a power supply unit 132 which supplies the motor-compressor unit 108. A single or double closing controller (not shown) is incorporated in the power supply unit 132, on at least a portion of the housing (a face oriented track of crankcase group). The vacuum cleaner 102 comprises, along the main path followed by the air: - a suction handle (not shown), - a connection hose 118 of the body of the vacuum cleaner 102 to the suction handle, - the door -flexible 110, - a housing 120 of the dust collector 114 provided with a mounting plate 122 of the dust collector 114, a half-block 124 supporting the dust collector 114, - the dust collector 114, - the motorcycle group compressor 108, - a filter air box 126 provided with the dust filter 112 and - an air extraction pipe 128.

Part of the air passing through the air box 126 is directed towards the motor of the motor-compressor unit 108, to cool it, through a pipe 134 and, at the outlet of the engine through a hot air outlet pipe 136 As illustrated in FIG. 2, which is a partial section MM, the pipes 134 and 136 are respectively formed in the half-casings 116 and 104 and are separated by the gasket 106. Because these pipes are downstream of the filter, the cooling of the air is preferably carried out with "clean" air, which reduces the risk of loading the engine with dust and micro-organisms. The engine is, because of its complexity, impossible to disassemble for internal cleaning.

At the bottom of the half-housings 116 and 104, there are three interlockings passing through the openings in the seal and acting as guiding of the half-casings during the closure of the suction device. The right half casing 104 and the left half casing 116 are preferably formed in one molded piece without drawer, each or together as illustrated in Figure 4, which reduces the cost of manufacture. The plane joint 106 separates different parts of the air path, which prevents them from crossing (see Figure 2). This also allows to form different paths or housing with independent drawings, on either side of this joint. The dust collector 114 is a vacuum bag, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, or a water tank provided with at least one plunger bringing air into the water as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 10. water to the advantage, on the dust bag or vortex separator, to collect not only dust but also odors, vapors, fumes and volatile organic compounds. In addition, the water retains the dust permanently while the dust bags can release them in the suction device or when removed from this device. The locking cams and tie rods 130, five in number in FIGS. 1 and 3, are of known type. They are placed so as to distribute the pressure exerted on the seal, especially in the overpressure zone, downstream of the engine. They are positioned by passing a rod "T" in an opening common to the two half-housings 104 and 116 and the seal 106, then rotating them a quarter turn around the axis of this opening, so that the two arms of the rod are supported on a portion of the half casing 116, and then folding their heads to pull on this rod. Other systems, for securing the hulls and pressing the seal, can be used as straps, side clips with two shoulders, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the parts of the vacuum cleaner can take place in a case-shaped case 138, in a roto-blow molding process, for example, and in one piece closing on itself in at least one elastic hinge made in the thickness of the material. The vacuum can be produced by plastic injection into two or more parts joining by a flat common plane without any fillet or throat. These two parts sandwich a flat gasket. The vacuum cleaner can also be obtained by thermoformable plastic stamping techniques or metal sheets, the latter being intended, for reasons of weight, for large scale and industrial uses or intensive use or specific.

Preferably, the vacuum cleaner has dimensions not exceeding 50 cm in side. In embodiments, the welded or crimped cylindrical cage of the motor-compressor unit is removed, which makes it possible to clean the blades of the centrifugal propeller just like this gives access to the blades of a radial or linear compressor if the equipment in question is equipped with it (this is the case of so-called "industrial" materials which are not limited by the size and noise of a high-power thruster) . The vacuum cleaner object of the present invention offers the possibility of dissociating the notion of envelope design from that of the expected service design, suction and its peripheral services, isolating these services within an independent envelope. This envelope is, for example, consisting of a part made in a single extrusion blow-molding stage and comprising a hinge connecting two housing parts, such as the case 138 illustrated in FIG. 4. The disassembly and washing capacity of this case independent casing is an advantage of the practice of the present invention. In other embodiments, the suction device object of the present invention comprises any shell opening in two halves with, on one side, a tray or a dust collection bag and, on the other , suction means, the tray or the bag may constitute one of the halves of the hull. The suction means themselves form a closed shell with an opening facing the tank, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This shell, slid and held in that which gives the external appearance, is also in two parts and encloses the propeller, the propeller compressor (axial, centrifugal or radial) and at least one filter. This inner shell in two parts opens, none of the elements it contains not being attached to it. The two half-shells are thus overmouldings of the internal elements and air ducts from one to the other, from the entrance from the tank, to the exit, which fouie is common. It is thus half-shells in counter-form of the elements which they contain and, themselves, in counter-forms of the outer shell which contains them when they are united. In embodiments, a set of shapes is formed within the two half-shells, in a first game on the intrados and in a secondary game, on the extrados, thus facing the outer shell. These sets allow to define either additional locations to reserve the space required for a switch protruding from the outer shell, for example, or the realization of conduits useful for cooling the thruster, according to another example, and in this case, these conduits can communicate with those formed in the intrados. We thus play on the positive or negative forms dug and embossed in a common plane on a single sheet of material. It is thus possible to use stamping or thermoforming from a sheet of thermosetting synthetic material, including composite or fiber-based materials, or by injection for accuracy, complexity, mechanical resistance to expansion, etc. , and the volume of production. In the case where one opts for obtaining structures on the extrados at the same time as on the intrados, the complexity of the shape is greater. Preferably, all the shapes are molded without a drawer since all the shapes are undercut. The inner surface in contact with moving air is electrolytic mirror polished. The aesthetic faces are, on the contrary, of any finish. The outer shell is, for example, electrolytic finish. In embodiments, the complete vacuum cleaner looks like a suitcase that splits in half at half height. In the upper part are the thruster, the compressor, the filter, etc. Between the two shells is foam forming seal and sound insulation. In the lower part is a vertical cylindrical water tank with two opposite openings that join the opening of the upper part when assembling the two half-shells. The base that receives the cylindrical tank forms a "U" which reveals the tank to visualize the water in action and its saturation in dust. This base can receive the accessories of the vacuum cleaner or a battery of power supply. It may also include a retractable and dismountable foot that extends perpendicularly to either side of the vacuum cleaner to stabilize it when placed on the ground to roll it on two wheels. The narrow form of the vacuum cleaner promotes its storage and its shoulder strap. In addition, its high-placed output reduces the dispersion of dust lying flush with the ground. The exhaust port opens on the upper face of the device and leaves the dust where it must be sucked. If a water tank is used, preferably, a transparent waterproof light makes it possible to see the water level and, possibly, its state of cleanliness. All components of the vacuum cleaner can be washed: bodywork, interior ducts, compressor / fan blades, dust collector, and catalysis and ion filtration system. In the case of systems using water, it is noted that the essential oils possibly used are not heated and thus retain their property.

In the second embodiment, illustrated in Figures 5 to 10, a vacuum cleaner 150 comprises a dust collector 182 consisting of a water tank in which two plungers 154 and 156 open. FIG. 5 gives the general shape of this vacuum cleaner 150 which resembles a case fitted with an upper handle 158 and two fasteners 250 for a shoulder strap 240. The sidewalls 160A of this vacuum cleaner 150 are interconnected by two transverse parts 260. The flanks 160 extend to about the middle of the dust collector 182 and a support 270 extends the dust collector 182 downwardly and has a flat underside, to ensure the stability of the vacuum cleaner 150 when this support is resting on the ground.

A transparent light 152 formed in the dust collector 182 makes it possible to see the water level and the density of dust retained by the water. Figure 6 shows a variant of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in Figure 5, in which variant flanks 1606 continue downward to form a support for laying the vacuum on the ground.

Note that the shape of the device can be placed on a step, even for a very vertical staircase. In addition, even in the event of a rollover, its flat vertical walls limit the risk of rolling and tumbling. In addition, if the user gets his foot in the device, his fall flat limits both the risk of falling from the user and the risk of injury in case of a fall.

Figure 7 shows the housing parts 162 and 164 surrounding the motor. An overmolded seal 166 is provided between these housing portions 162 and 164. A filter 1646 is positioned at the outlet prior to the vertical extraction 170 of the filtered air on the upper horizontal portion of the vacuum cleaner. In FIGS. 8 to 10, it can be seen that the dust collector 182 consists of two substantially symmetrical side pieces 183 and 184 and an upper piece 186 through which the two plungers 188 and 190 enter the dust collector 182. The air plunger 188 plunges to the bottom of the dust collector 182, so that the air to be cleaned passes through the water contained in the dust collector 182. On the contrary, the air outlet plunger 190 opens quite high in the dust collector 182.

The dust collector 182 has a geometry such that the amount of water below the horizontal fill line shown in the figures is entirely below the plunger 190 when the device is overturned to the side. Thus, this water is not sucked into the compressor.

It is noted that the verticalization of the functions is one of the preferred characteristics of the suction device. This is all the more important in the embodiment using a dust collector comprising a liquid through which air to be cleaned, such as that illustrated in Figures 5 to 10. Indeed, the gravity retains the liquid. The verticalization of the functions also makes it possible for the air outlet to be above the layer of air containing the most dust in order to avoid dispersing the dust present in this layer of air in the room. As illustrated in FIG. 11, in one embodiment, the suction method that is the subject of the present invention comprises: a step 205 of closing at least two housing parts separated by at least one seal, said parts of a casing forming, jointly with each other and / or together with each said seal, air lines entering and leaving the device, manually removable tool-less housing portions securing the housing parts around each said seal - a step 210 suction, a step 215 of opening said parts and a cleaning step 220 of said parts. The present invention applies to all areas where an air suction process is used in order to move, process, transform, filter, such as: vacuum cleaners, hoods, air conditioners positive or negative, dehumidifier, ionizer for the industrial or consumer sectors and as an autonomous element of one of these expected functions or as a sub-element proceeding from the function specific to the device. As an autonomous element the areas targeted are more particularly those of power tools or small fixed station such as vacuum cleaners, hoods, dehumidifiers or other air filtration device.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Suction device, characterized in that it comprises: - an air intake motor (108), - air ducts (104, 116), upstream and downstream of said engine for, respectively, inlet and outlet of the sucked air and - a dust collector (182) connected to the air inlet duct and having a liquid reservoir (183, 184), a removable plunger (188) for bubbling in which arrives the air from the inlet line and a removable air line (190) further connected to the suction motor. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the dust collector (182) comprises liquid retaining means (190) preventing passage of the liquid to the suction motor. 3. Suction device according to one of claims 1 or 2, which comprises: - at least two parts (104, 116) housing separated by at least one seal (106), said housing parts forming, together and / or together with each said seal, air ducts (134, 136) entering and exiting the device and - fasteners (130) manually removable tool-free housing parts that secure the housing parts around each said seal. The suction device according to claim 3, wherein the housing portions (104, 116) together form a support for the air suction motor (108). 5. Suction device according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the housing parts (104, 116) form, jointly, lines (134, 136) inlet and outlet cooling air of engine. 6. Suction device according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the housing parts (104, 116) together form a support for the dust collector (182) conveyed by the sucked air. 7. Suction device according to one of claims 3 to 6, which comprises a part joining at least two housing parts around a hinge, said housing parts and said hinge forming a single mechanical part in continuous material. 8. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 7, which comprises an air outlet (128, 170) whose axis is substantially vertical, positioned in the upper half of the device. 9. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 8, which comprises a strap (240) for carrying the device shoulder. 10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the motor (108) is positioned vertically of the dust collector (182).