US20220125261A1

US20220125261A1 - Arrangement of Components in a Vacuum Cleaning Device, and Vacuum Cleaning Device

Info

Publication number: US20220125261A1
Application number: US17/434,614
Authority: US
Inventors: Xaver Hanslmeier; Roman Podhorny
Original assignee: Hilti AG
Current assignee: Hilti AG
Priority date: 2019-02-28
Filing date: 2020-02-17
Publication date: 2022-04-28
Also published as: EP3930553A1; WO2020173735A1; EP3701848A1

Abstract

An arrangement of components in a vacuum cleaning device where the vacuum cleaning device includes a vacuum cleaner head with a turbine, a filter, and a filter cleaning unit disposed in the vacuum cleaner head. A triangle is formed by the turbine, the filter, and the filter cleaning unit in the vacuum cleaner head.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an arrangement of components in a vacuum cleaning device, wherein the vacuum cleaning device comprises at least one turbine and one filter as vacuum cleaner components. In particular, deliberate nesting of the vacuum cleaner components within the vacuum cleaning device is provided, in the case of which, in particular, the vacuum cleaner components mentioned are arranged obliquely or in a manner tilted in relation to a horizontal plane. In a second aspect, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaning device which has a provided arrangement of components in which individual components form a triangle with one another in the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device.
The prior art includes vacuum cleaning devices which are used, in particular, on construction sites in order to remove dust that is formed in connection with the use of power tools, e.g., drills or grinders. Such “construction site vacuum cleaners” generally comprise a vacuum cleaner head in an upper region and a collecting container for the collected dust in a lower region of the vacuum cleaning device. According to the invention, such vacuum cleaners are preferably also referred to as industrial vacuum cleaners. In the case of conventional construction site vacuum cleaners that are known from the prior art, the vacuum cleaner components, such as the turbine, the motor, the filter, the filter cleaning unit, etc., are arranged substantially vertically and/or horizontally within the vacuum cleaning device. Here, the terms “horizontally” and “vertically” refer, in particular, to the side walls of the vacuum cleaning device, wherein the terms “vertical arrangement” and “horizontal arrangement” mean, in particular, that the vacuum cleaner components are arranged substantially parallel or perpendicularly in relation to the side walls of the vacuum cleaning device. However, owing to this vertical and/or horizontal arrangement of vacuum cleaner components within the vacuum cleaning device, a free volume may unnecessarily be created in the vacuum cleaning device because rigid specifications as regards arrangement which are based on the side walls of the vacuum cleaning device may give rise to free spaces within the vacuum cleaning device that cannot be used in an optimum way. This is a disadvantage especially if the intention is to try and provide vacuum cleaners which are as compact, manageable and easy to transport as possible.
Moreover, the rigid vertical or horizontal alignment of vacuum cleaner components can lead to the need for complex cabling between individual components if they are not arranged in an optimum manner relative to one another within the vacuum cleaning device. This represents what may be an unnecessary expenditure of resources that may make such a vacuum cleaning device susceptible to faults or may lead to increased expenditure on repair and/or maintenance. Moreover, a rigid vertical or horizontal arrangement of vacuum cleaner components can lead to increased expenditure on sealing. On the one hand, this may manifest itself in the need to use a complex sealing concept. However, it may also manifest itself in an increased expenditure on materials. Both effects are undesirable in relation to a vacuum cleaning device since they may lead to increased wear or additional weight and thus to an additional financial burden when operating the vacuum cleaning device. It has furthermore been found that increased power losses occur in the case of conventional vacuum cleaning devices in which the vacuum cleaner components are aligned vertically and/or horizontally in relation to the side walls.
It is the object of the present invention to solve the problems described above and to provide a vacuum cleaning device in which the individual vacuum cleaner components are arranged in a space-saving manner relative to one another. In the vacuum cleaning device to be provided, it should be possible to provide sealing in a simple and uncomplicated manner. Moreover, the intention is to provide a vacuum cleaner which is powerful in relation to the size of the vacuum cleaning device and with which, in particular, simple but effective air routing is possible. It would furthermore be desirable if the filter or a filter unit of the vacuum cleaning device to be provided could be removed from the rear side of the vacuum cleaning device.
The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the independent claims can be found in the dependent subclaims.
Here, the object is achieved by an arrangement of components in a vacuum cleaning device, wherein the vacuum cleaning device comprises at least one turbine, one filter and one filter cleaning unit in a vacuum cleaner head. The arrangement is characterized in that the turbine, the filter and the filter cleaning unit form a triangle in the vacuum cleaner head. The triangle is formed, in particular, in a side view of the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device. The three vacuum cleaner components mentioned preferably form the corners of the triangle. In this case, the turbine and the filter cleaning unit preferably form a substantially horizontal upper edge of the triangle, wherein the turbine is arranged in a front region of the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device and the filter cleaning unit is arranged in a rear region. The triangle formed is preferably a substantially right-angled triangle, the right angle of which is in the region of the filter cleaning device. The horizontal upper edge of the triangle, which is preferably arranged between the turbine and the filter cleaning unit, preferably forms one of the two short sides of the substantially right-angled triangle. The second short side of the substantially right-angled triangle is preferably arranged between the filter cleaning unit and the filter, while the hypotenuse is situated between a geometrical center of gravity of the filter and a geometrical center of gravity of the turbine. In particular, the triangle between the vacuum cleaner components is formed by virtue of the fact that the turbine is arranged substantially adjacent to the filter cleaning unit, the filter is arranged substantially below the filter cleaning unit, and the turbine is arranged substantially obliquely above the filter. The invention departs from the prior art through the arrangement of the vacuum cleaner components in a triangle. In conventional vacuum cleaning devices which are known from the prior art, the components mentioned are often in a quadrilateral arrangement.
With the component arrangement provided, the individual components are, in particular, tilted relative to a horizontal and/or vertical axis of the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device. In one embodiment of the invention, it is preferred that an imaginary first central axis through the filter of the vacuum cleaning device forms a first angle of from 10 to 20 degrees with an imaginary horizontal plane, and an imaginary second central axis through the turbine of the vacuum cleaning device forms a second angle of from 145 to 155 degrees with an imaginary horizontal plane. The angle sizes mentioned preferably allow for the triangular arrangement of the vacuum cleaner components comprising the turbine, the filter cleaning unit and the filter.
The triangular arrangement of the vacuum cleaner components in the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device preferably allows a compact construction for the vacuum cleaning device, in which a number of advantages are achieved by deliberate nesting of individual vacuum cleaner components. On the one hand, it is possible with the compact arrangement of the vacuum cleaner components, particularly of the filter and of the turbine, to reduce the number of parts to be installed in the vacuum cleaning device. This can advantageously be achieved by virtue of the fact that a base plate of the vacuum cleaner head forms a central point at which the vacuum cleaner components can be arranged. The oblique positioning of the components in the abovementioned angular ranges, which advantageously leads to the triangular arrangement of the vacuum cleaner components, preferably allows the advantageous, space-saving nesting of the components and the moving together of the components in the vacuum cleaner head.
As a result, the provided vacuum cleaning device can be designed and produced in a simple manner and advantageously requires particularly little maintenance. Moreover, the efficiency of the vacuum cleaning device can be considerably increased because the vacuum cleaning device can be made particularly compact and space-saving. Its handling or use is also made easier thereby. By virtue of the deliberate tilting or oblique arrangement of vacuum cleaner components, such as the turbine or the filter, it is advantageously possible to enlarge the useful container volume available, and therefore a larger quantity of dust can be picked up and collected with the vacuum cleaning device provided. One particular advantage of the provided component arrangement for a vacuum cleaning device is that the filter of the vacuum cleaning device can be removed or exchanged at the rear side of the vacuum cleaning device. Optimized air routing within the vacuum cleaning device is thereby made possible. In particular, the improved air routing within the vacuum cleaning device makes possible a significant reduction in volume flow and pressure losses.
In the context of the provided component arrangement, it is preferred that the filter and the turbine are arranged tilted in relation to a horizontal plane. In other words, the vacuum cleaner components mentioned are situated obliquely within the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device. The oblique positioning of the individual vacuum cleaner components is defined by a slope angle which is formed by an imaginary central axis through the vacuum cleaner component and an imaginary horizontal plane. According to the invention, the imaginary central axis through the filter is referred to as the first imaginary central axis of the vacuum cleaning device, while the imaginary central axis through the turbine is referred to as the second imaginary central axis of the vacuum cleaning device. The slope angle of the filter is accordingly referred to as the first angle. This first angle is preferably in a range of from 10 to 20 degrees, wherein, in particular, slope angle values of from 13 to 17 degrees and, particularly preferably, of 15 degrees are preferred for the filter. In other words, it is preferred that the first angle is from 13 to 17 degrees and, particularly preferably, is 15 degrees. The corresponding first angle is indicated in FIG. 1. According to the invention, all values between 10 and 20 degrees may be preferred, especially the values 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and all rational and irrational values in between. Furthermore, values between 5 and 25 degrees may also be preferred, that is to say especially 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 21, 22, 23, 24 or 25, and all rational and irrational values in between.
According to the invention, the size of the slope angle is preferably determined in accordance with the mathematical perspective that the horizontal plane is regarded as the positive x axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, and the axis through the filter or through the turbine is regarded as a line or vector, wherein the enclosed angle between the x axis and the line preferably corresponds to the slope angle for the respective component. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the first imaginary central axis, which preferably passes centrally through the filter, is located in the first quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate system of this kind, while the second imaginary central axis, which preferably passes centrally through the turbine, is located in the second quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate system of this kind.
According to the invention, the slope angle of the turbine is referred to as the second angle. This is preferably in a range of from 145 to 155 degrees, wherein, in particular, slope angle values of from 148 to 152 degrees and, particularly preferably, of 150 degrees are preferred for the filter. In other words, it is preferred that the second angle is from 148 to 152 degrees and, particularly preferably, is 150 degrees. If the x axis described above is extended beyond the y axis of the coordinate system, into the second quadrant, and this “negative x axis” is used as the starting point for defining the size of the second slope angle for the turbine, a second slope angle in a range of from 25 to 35 degrees, preferably 28 to 32 degrees and, particularly preferably, of 30 degrees is obtained. According to the invention, all values between 145 and 155 degrees may be preferred, especially the values 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155 and all rational and irrational values in between. Furthermore, values between 140 and 160 degrees may also be preferred, that is to say especially 140, 141, 142, 143, 144 or 156, 157, 158, 159 or 160, and all rational and irrational values in between. This second angle, which is defined by the negative x axis and the central axis through the turbine, is likewise indicated in FIG. 1.
Thus, the vacuum cleaner components comprising the filter and the turbine are not aligned horizontally or vertically in relation to side walls of the vacuum cleaner head of the vacuum cleaning device; instead, the vacuum cleaner components mentioned occupy an oblique position in relation to the outer walls of the vacuum cleaning device since they are formed in a manner tilted relative to the imaginary horizontal plane.
In the context of the present invention, the terms “horizontally” and “vertically” relate to the side walls of the vacuum cleaning device, which are generally aligned substantially perpendicularly to the ground, wherein, according to the invention, the term “horizontally” preferably means that an object is arranged substantially parallel to the ground or substantially perpendicularly to a side wall of the vacuum cleaner, while, according to the invention, the term “vertically” preferably means that an object is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the ground or substantially parallel to a side wall of the vacuum cleaner. A horizontal plane which can be placed notionally through the vacuum cleaner is thus an imaginary plane which extends substantially parallel to the surface of the earth. According to the invention, this preferably means that a straight line which extends in the imaginary horizontal plane encloses an angle of about 0 degrees with the surface of the earth. According to the invention, minimal deviations from the surface of the earth in a range of 0 to 5 degrees are preferably included by the term “horizontally” since there may be inaccuracies of measurement or because the surface of the earth is not always completely planar. According to the invention, an idealized, substantially planar surface of the earth is preferably assumed.
According to the invention, a tilted or oblique arrangement of a vacuum cleaner component in relation to a virtual horizontal plane of this kind preferably means that an axis which preferably passes through the oblique or tilted vacuum cleaner component as an imaginary central axis encloses an angle that is significantly greater than 0 with the horizontal plane. According to the invention, this angle is referred to as the “slope angle” of the corresponding vacuum cleaner component. In particular, the invention is thus characterized by oblique positioning of the vacuum cleaner components comprising the turbine and the filter.
The turbine of the vacuum cleaning device is preferably designed to produce the suction flow for the dust—e.g., the dust formed on a construction site—by producing an air flow. In particular, a vacuum by means of which the suction flow for removal of the dust can be provided is produced in the vacuum cleaning device.
In addition to the filter, which has an oblique position of 10 to 20 degrees in relation to a horizontal in the context of the present invention, the vacuum cleaning device can have additional filters or filter elements. According to the invention, the tilted filter can also be referred to as a filter cartridge or as a main filter, wherein the compact construction provided now advantageously enables the filter cartridge to be removed from the rear from the vacuum cleaning device provided. The terms “front side” and “back side” or “rear side” are not unclear terms for a person skilled in the art in relation to a vacuum cleaning device because a person skilled in the art can recognize from the configuration and arrangement of the components of the vacuum cleaning device which is the front side in which the rear side of the vacuum cleaning device. An operating display with buttons and operating elements can be provided on the front side, for example.
During the operation of the vacuum cleaning device, the filters may become blocked with dust. The vacuum cleaning device provided can therefore comprise a filter cleaning unit, by means of which cleaning of the filter or of the filter elements of the vacuum cleaning device can be performed manually or automatically. According to the invention, it is preferred that the turbine of the vacuum cleaning device provided is arranged adjacent to this filter cleaning unit and that the filter is arranged below this filter cleaning unit. The inventors have recognized that this arrangement is particularly advantageous because efficient cleaning of the filter is made possible by optimized alignment of the cleaning unit relative to the filter.
According to the invention, it is preferred that the filter cleaning unit is located directly above the filter, which, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, is tilted by 15 degrees in relation to a horizontal plane of the vacuum cleaning device. By means of this tilting, in particular, the container volume available for the reception of dust is considerably enlarged, thus advantageously enabling more dust to be collected in the collecting container before emptying of the collecting container is required. The increase in the time intervals between the required emptying enables the workers on a construction site to carry out other activities, and therefore the invention shortens construction times and allows effective employment of the workers on construction sites.
By virtue of the oblique positioning of the turbine at 30 or 150 degrees, which is furthermore preferred, the turbine, the filter and the filter cleaning unit can be integrated into the provided vacuum cleaning device in a manner which is particularly compact, i.e., with little free volume between the components. In particular, it is thereby also possible to optimize the air routing, i.e., the routing of the suction flow within the vacuum cleaning device, in the sense that the losses of pressure—e.g., at the time when the filter is cleaned—or of volume flow can be considerably reduced.
In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the present invention is characterized by compactness of the component arrangement by means of an arrangement of the components relative to one another.
The motor is preferably designed to drive the turbine. Moreover, the vacuum cleaning device in this exemplary embodiment has a filter cartridge with an obliquity of 15 degrees which can advantageously be removed on the clean-area side of the vacuum cleaning device even though the filter cartridge is arranged below the motor or the turbine of the vacuum cleaning device. According to the invention, the arrangement of one object below another object can mean that the first object is arranged directly below the second object. According to the invention, however, it may also be preferred that the first object is arranged with a lateral offset with respect to the second object, i.e., obliquely below the second object. In particular, the invention allows simplified air routing by virtue of the preferred oblique motor position. In particular, it is thereby possible to achieve a connection of the process air corridors which preferably affects the filtration region, the vacuum region, the guiding region and/or the positive pressure region of the vacuum cleaning device.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaning device, wherein the vacuum cleaning device has an arrangement of components as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims. The definitions, technical effects and advantages of the invention which have been described in relation to the component arrangement apply similarly to the vacuum cleaning device provided.
Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures. Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the figures. The figures, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them to form expedient further combinations.
In the figures, identical components and components of identical type are designated by the same reference signs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a preferred configuration of the invention, in particular of the provided vacuum cleaning device (1). In particular, FIG. 1 shows a detail of the vacuum cleaner head (10) of the vacuum cleaning device (1). In particular, a turbine (2) and a filter (3) are provided as vacuum cleaner components in the vacuum cleaner head (10). The filter (3) can be configured as a filter cartridge, for example. It may furthermore be preferred for the filter (3) or the filter cartridge to comprise filter elements. Moreover, the vacuum cleaning device (1) can have a filter cleaning unit (9) by means of which the filter (3) or the filter elements can be cleaned at regular or irregular intervals. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the turbine (2) is arranged adjacent to the filter cleaning unit (9) in the vacuum cleaner head (10) of the vacuum cleaning device (1). The filter cleaning unit (9) is arranged above the filter (3) in the vacuum cleaner head (10).
In particular, the three components comprising the filter (3), the turbine (2) and the filter cleaning unit (9) form a triangle in the vacuum cleaner head (10), wherein, in particular, this triangle is obtained in the side view of the vacuum cleaning device (1). The position of the triangle in relation to the vacuum cleaner components (2, 3, 9) is illustrated in FIG. 2, which shows a vacuum cleaning device (1) having a vacuum cleaner head (10). Here, an acute angle of the triangle is situated in the region of the turbine (2), in the front region of the vacuum cleaner head (10) of the vacuum cleaning device (1). The turbine (2) can preferably be arranged in a manner tilted relative to a horizontal and/or vertical axis of the vacuum cleaner head (10) of the vacuum cleaning device (1), wherein this angle can be 30 degrees, for example. The turbine (2) and the filter cleaning unit (9) of the vacuum cleaning device (1) can preferably be on a horizontal axis within the vacuum cleaner head (10). In the side view of the vacuum cleaning device (1), the filter cleaning unit (9) preferably forms a right-hand upper corner of the triangle formed, wherein, in particular, a right angle or a substantially right angle of the triangle formed is located in this corner. The filter (3) is preferably below the filter cleaning unit (9), with the result that the filter (3) and the filter cleaning unit (9) preferably form a vertical axis within the vacuum cleaner head (10).
The imaginary virtual axes (4, 6), the slope angles (5, 7) and the planes (8) are also illustrated in FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 1 shows the first central axis (4), which preferably passes centrally through the filter (3). The first central axis (4) forms a first slope angle (5) with a virtual horizontal axis (8), which can be at different heights in the vacuum cleaner head and extends substantially parallel to the surface of the earth or to the underlying surface on which the vacuum cleaning device (1) is set up. Furthermore, the imaginary horizontal axis (8) extends substantially parallel to a preferably substantially planar cover plate of the vacuum cleaning device (1). The virtual horizontal axis (8) can be regarded as the positive x axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, wherein this positive x axis, together with the first central axis (4), forms the first slope angle (5), which is preferably assigned to the filter (3) and preferably defines the oblique positioning of the filter (3). In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the first slope angle (5) is 15 degrees.
Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows the oblique positioning of the turbine (2), which is preferably driven by a motor. The oblique positioning of the turbine (2) is preferably determined by the second slope angle (7), which is formed by the second central axis (6), which passes through the turbine (2), and the horizontal axis (8). Depending on the side from which the second slope angle (7) is measured, it amounts to 30 or 150 degrees in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the arrow with the reference sign of 7 points to the second slope angle, which, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, can be 150 degrees, for example.
FIG. 3 shows a preferred configuration of the vacuum cleaning device (1) provided. In particular, FIG. 3 shows how the vacuum cleaner components (2, 3, 9) can be arranged in the vacuum cleaning device (1), in particular the vacuum cleaner head (10). In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the arrow with the reference sign of 7 points to the second slope angle, which, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, can be 30 degrees, for example.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

1 Vacuum cleaning device
2 Turbine
3 Filter
4 First imaginary central axis
5 First slope angle
6 Second imaginary central axis
7 Second slope angle
8 Imaginary horizontal plane
9 Filter cleaning unit
10 Vacuum cleaner head

Claims

1.-5. (canceled)

6. An arrangement of components in a vacuum cleaning device, wherein the vacuum cleaning device comprises a vacuum cleaner head with a turbine, a filter, and a filter cleaning unit disposed in the vacuum cleaner head, comprising:

a triangle formed by the turbine, the filter, and the filter cleaning unit in the vacuum cleaner head.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the turbine is disposed adjacent to the filter cleaning unit.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the filter is disposed below the filter cleaning unit.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the turbine is disposed obliquely above the filter.

10. A vacuum cleaning device, comprising:

a vacuum cleaner head with a turbine, a filter, and a filter cleaning unit disposed in the vacuum cleaner head;

wherein a triangle is formed by the turbine, the filter, and the filter cleaning unit in the vacuum cleaner head.