GB2292883A

GB2292883A - Odour absorbing system for a vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2292883A
Application number: GB9516133A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Goran Sjoberg; Mats Ekblad
Original assignee: Electrolux AB
Current assignee: Electrolux AB
Priority date: 1994-09-07
Filing date: 1995-08-07
Publication date: 1996-03-13
Also published as: JPH0898791A; DE19531343A1; GB9516133D0; SE9402979D0; FR2724106A1

Description

Odour absorbing system for a vacuum cleaner 2292883 This invention relates

to an odour absorbing system for a vacuum cleaner which comprises a motor-fan unit and a dust container which is placed up- stream the motor-fan unit.

It is common technique to use different types of filters for cleaning the air which f lows through the vacuum cleaner. Usually a so called catastroph filter is used in addition to the air pervious dust container for primarily preventing particles from reaching the fan unit if the dust container would break this filter being placed between the dust container and the fan unit. A further filter is usually used on the pressure side of the fan unit in order to take up fine particles which are not taken up by the dust container as well as carbon particles which leave the comminutator brush.

It has also been suggested see DE 4204553 and DE 4240172 resp, to use odour absorbing filters on the pressure side of the fan unit in order to take care of the odour particles in the air flow when the vacuum cleaner is started. Even if this leads to a certain odour reducing effect there is a large risk that the major part of the odour substances which are created when the vacuum cleaner is not in use will pass through the filter when the vacuum cleaner is started.

The purpose of this invention is to create an qdour reducing system for a vaccum cleaner the system being active also under periods when the vacuum cleaner is not in use so that an accumulution of the odour substanses does not occur in the container. This means considerably less odour emission compared to previously known devices. This is achieved by means of a system which has the caracteristics mentioned in the claims.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing schematically showing a vertical section through a vacuum cleaner which is provided with an odour absorbing system according to the invention.

2 The vacuum cleaner comprises a shell 10 having a lid 11 through which an inlet sleeve 12 extends the outer end of the sleeve being connected to a hose 13 to which an ordinary tube shaft with a nozzle can be connected. The shell forms a chamber 14 in which a dust container 15 is inserted the dust container in a common way being provided with a collar 16 with an opening through which the inner end of the sleeve extends. The shell 10 also forms a motor housing 17 which is separated from the chamber 14 by means of a wall part 18 having a central opening 19. In the motor housing a fan unit 20 is mounted the inlet opening 21 of the fan unit being concentric with the opening 19 and being sealed from it by means of a sealing 22. The shell also has an outlet opening 23 through which the air from the fan unit leaves to atmosphere.

The chamber 14 comprises an odour absorbing substance which is placed in close vicinity of the dust container the substance for instance being shaped as a filter 24 which partly surrounds the dust container 15. Thus, such a filter can, as appears from the f igure, be shaped as a container with wall parts 25 and a bottom 26 the filter surrounding all parts of the dust container with exception of the collar 16 and serving as a cassette for the dust container. Alternatively the filter can be shaped as a plate corresponding to the bottom 26 and covering the opening 19 and being sealed from it by means of the sealing which is indicated with the number 27. It is also possible to arrange the odour absorbing substance in a suitable way on the dust container so that the odour absorbing substance is replaced together with the dust container or to form the walls of the chamber 14 or-the cassette in which the dust container is inserted of a material which contains odour absorbents.

The odour absorbing substance preferably contains active carbon or other suitable materials such as zeolites.

The device shown in the figure operates in such a way that the dust particles, following the air which by means of the fan unit is sucked into the hose 13, remain in the dust container whereas the air flows through the odour absorbing filter 24 and through the opening 19 to the fan unit 20 before the air leaves 3 to atmosphere via the outlet opening 23. When passing the filter 24 the air is cleaned with respect to odour substances. A cleaning effect is, according to the invention, also achieved when the vacuum cleaner is not used. The important thing according to the invention is that the odour absorbing substance is placed in close vicinity of the dust container 15 or is integrated with it in order to absorb the odour substances which are emitted from the dust container when the vacuum cleaner is not used.

4

Claims

1. Odour absorbing system for a vacuum cleaner which comprises a motorfan unit (20) and a dust container (15) which is placed upstream the motor-fan unit, characterised in that an odour absorbing substance is placed up-stream the motor-fan unit and in close vicinity of the dust container (15).

2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the odour absorbing substance contains active carbon or a zeolite.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the odour absorbing substance is contained in a filter (14) through which at least a part of the air flowing through which at least a part of the air flowing through the dust container is directed.

4. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the odour absorbing substance completely or partly surrounds the dust container (15).

5. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the odour absorbing substance is placed up-stream and in close vicinity of the inlet opening (21) of the fan unit.

6. System according to claim 3, characterised in that the f ilter is shaped as a plate and arranged at the outlet opening (19) of a chamber (14) containing the dust container (15).

7. system according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the air absorbing substance is arranaed at the dust container.