WO2000048502A1

WO2000048502A1 - Combined filter for vacuum cleaners

Info

Publication number: WO2000048502A1
Application number: PCT/PL1999/000018
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wanda Kawa; Zdzis$m(D)aw CHMIEL; Stanis$m(D)aw PIEJKO; Zygmunt Marchlik; Andrzej Jakubczyk; Rados$m(D)aw MIKU$m(C)A
Original assignee: Zelmer
Priority date: 1999-02-21
Filing date: 1999-05-28
Publication date: 2000-08-24
Also published as: HUP0104989A2; CZ20012016A3; PL331591A1; SK5572001A3

Abstract

The combined filter for vacuum cleaners, intended for cleaning of sucked air from dry and wet impurities. The combined filter, has a container (1) and lateral filtering chamber (2), whereas the container (1) is closed from its underside with selectively passing bottom (4) while from its top the container (1) is closed tightly with upper filtering assembly (5) which is connected tightly with the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber (2) mounted rigidly to the side wall of said container (1). The upper filtering assembly (5) has a plate (18) which is seated in container (1) by means of a catch of hinge (26) and latch (25) and closes said container (1) tightly from the top with gasket (8) on the upper edge of said container (1) while on its upper side said plate (18) is connected with cover (17) by means of latch (16) and hinge element (16'), whereas said plate (18) has a hole (19) connected through gasket (19') with flange (11) of the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber (2) and, additionally, said plate (18) is provided with holder (20).

Description

Combined Filter for Vacuum Cleaners

The subject of the invention is a combined filter for vacuum cleaners intended for collecting dry and wet impurities.

The vacuum cleaner solution is known from Polish patent application No. P-318117 in which vacuum cleaner has, in its canister chamber, an entering-and-filtering assembly with an inlet hole and an outlet hole from said canister chamber and an intermediate chamber between said canister chamber and the motor compartment. Said entering-and-filtering assembly has an upper portion and a lower portion. Said upper portion has a support plate with an entry channel and the inlet hole and an outlet hole with vertical guide ribs and bosses arranged on its circumference. Said lower portion has a rebound plate with a seat connecting to entry channel in said upper part. Said connecting seat passes into a vertical inlet channel. Said lower portion has sleeve seats screwed to bosses. A cut-off float is located freely in the space defined by said guide ribs in the outlet-hole axis between the support plate and the rebound plate. The space between inner surfaces of said support plate and said rebound plate, together with said outlet hole, is separated from the interior of said canister by a filtering material in form of foam tape. Said filtering material, supported on the side brackets of said entering-and-filtering assembly, covers the sides of said entering-and-filtering assembly and is clamped with clamps on the clamp seats of said entering-and-filtering assembly on both sides of the inlet. Said intermediate chamber is formed in the clamping cover which, with its pressure wall and gasket, blocks said canister tightly from above in its position on a base with its bottom fitted suitably to the shape of said base. There is a filtration barrier between the outlet hole of said entering-and-filtering assembly and the intermediate chamber. Said inlet channel has in its side wall an air gap which size is adjustable with a turn adjuster. The presented solution permit unrestricted entering of not only dust particles but also larger pieces of impurities into the canister causing its contamination and, in case of water filter and intensive water turbulence, its very severe fouling, thus requiring washing of the canister and the entering-and-filtering assembly after each operation of the vacuum cleaner. Additional impediment is a severe dirt clogging of the foam material which surrounds the sides of the entering-and-filtering assembly, thus leading to flow suppression of air passing to the space between the support plate and the rebound plate and further to outlet hole and filtration material, with consequential excessive rise in temperature in the suction-unit chamber, frequent cleaning of filtering material and its frequent replacements.

Additional disadvantage is an unnecessary dissipation of the stream of air going out of entering- and-filtering assembly in the space between filter frame and the outlet hole of the entering-and- filtering assembly.

To empty the vacuum cleaner after finishing its operation requires opening of the vacuum- cleaner cover, removing of the filtering-material frame and putting it away, then removing of entering-and-filtering assembly and then removing of the canister and emptying of dirt collected in it or waste water in case of water filter.

The purpose of the invention is to avoid the above impediments and disadvantages, which was achieved as follows. The combined filter for vacuum cleaners comprises a container and a lateral filtering chamber. Said container is closed on its underside with a selectively passing bottom and tightly closed on its upper side with the upper filtering assembly which is tightly connected with the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber rigidly mounted to container side wall. Said upper filtering assembly has a plate which, by means of catch, hinge and latch, is fixed on the container and closes it tightly from above through the gasket on the upper part of the container while the plate is connected upwardly with the cover by means of latch and hinge element, said plate having a hole connected through gasket with the flange of the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber, while the plate is provided with a holder. The bottom is connected with the container with hinge and latch said bottom having a projecting (downwards) dispersing element with through holes in it.

A one-way passing filtration element is located in the seat of the bottom and pressed against the lower edge of the container. Said lateral filtering chamber has a strainer in a mounting frame closing the side inlet hole of the filtering chamber. The combined filter has a seat gasket on the upper surface of the cut-off float facing the flange of the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber. The container contains a paper filter.

The solution according to this invention has a simple and convenient cleaning system and, due to use of container for large pieces of impurities, one-way passing filtering element in the bottom seat and a strainer at the inlet hole of the lateral filtering chamber, the canister interior is only slightly contaminated after vacuum cleaner operation and, due to use of shielding strainer, the foam filtering element in the inlet to the chamber is not clogged rapidly with dirt and does not require frequent cleaning and replacement. The additional factor reducing the contamination of the canister and outer surfaces of the combined filter is the employing of dispersing element which reduces the impact of the stream of air entering the canister containing water as filtering element. The use of rigid connection of the upper filtering assembly with the container facilitates vacuum cleaner operation considerably because - to empty it, one needs only to lift the cover, grip the holder to pull out the combined filter, open the container from above, remove paper filter and replace it with a new one or, if there is no filter in the container, open it from the under side and dispose of the thrush/refuse. The use of seal between the flange of the outlet hole from the lateral filtering chamber and the outlet hole of the plate does not allow the dispersion of the air flow stream in the area between outlet hole of the plate and the upper filtering element.

The invention is presented in its execution example in the drawing wherein Fig. 1 illustrates combined filter from its back side in longitudinal section through the container and the lateral filtering chamber, Fig. 2 illustrates combined filter as seen from the right side in longitudinal section through the container with inlet, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the container of combined filter as seen from the right side with inlet, swung-off (ajar) bottom and one-way passing filtering element installed in it, Fig. 4 is a view from outside on the mounting frame with latch, Fig. 5 is a top view of frame with latch, catch and strainer, Fig. 6 is a cross section through outlet hole of the upper filtering assembly with cover swung off (ajar), Fig,. 7 is a cross section through outlet hole of the upper filtering assembly with cover closed, Fig. 8 is a top view of combined filter with the upper filtering assembly, Fig. 9 is a top- view of the bottom with hinge, latch, seat and dispersing element, Fig. 10 is a cross section of the container bottom with hinge, latch, seat and dispersing element, Fig. 11 is side view of the bottom with hinge, latch, seat and dispersing element, Fig. 12 is the bottom view of container bottom with hinge, latch, seat and dispersing element, Fig. 13 is a partial longitudinal section through vacuum cleaner illustrating the combined filter seated in its canister and with suction-hose end piece in the inlet to container and, Fig 14 is a partial cross section through vacuum cleaner illustrating the combined filter seated at the front in the vacuum-cleaner canister.

The combined filter, installed with gasket 7, put on the outer flange of container 1, in an open-top canister 32, consists of container I, lateral filtering chamber 2, upper filtering assembly 5, and bottom 4. Said container 1 has the inlet hole JO with gasket 10! seated in it. Said lateral filtering chamber 2 is screwed to the side wall of said container \ in its upper portion. Said lateral filtering chamber 2 has a freely installed cut-off float 3, in the vertical axis of the outlet hole with flange 11. There is a gasket 9 on the upper front surface of said float 3. The container 1, together with said lateral filtering chamber 2 are covered by a plate 18 of the upper filtering assembly 5, which is seated in the top outer flange of said container 1, which also surrounds the chamber 2 by means of a catch of hinge 26 and latch 25. There is a gasket 8 between plate 18 and the top surface surrounding the container I and the flange H of the outlet hole of chamber 2 is connected through gasket 19| with the outlet hole 19 of plate 18. The filtering element 12, placed on the upper surface of said plate 18, is pressed down from above by said cover 17, which in turn is seated on said plate 18 by means of hinge element \& and latch 16. Said plate 18 is provided with holder 20 for the removal of said combined filter from the canister 32 of the vacuum cleaner, after removing the suction-hose end piece 34 from the inlet hole 10 of said container 1 and lifting the vacuum-cleaner cover 33. The lateral filtering chamber 2 has a side inlet hole which contains a lateral filtration element 14 in form of foam which in turn is shielded on the side of canister 32 with metal strainer L3 mounted in a mounting frame 6, seated by means of catch 30 and latch 29 on the side wall of said chamber 2 around its inlet hole. The bottom 4 closes said container 1 from the underside and is connected with it with hinge 7 and latch 28. The bottom 4 has a projecting (downward) dispersing element 2\ with through holes 21 while, from the side of container 1, the bottom 4 is provided with seat 31 which receives a one-way passing filtering element 15 which, with bottom 4 closed, is pressed by the lower edge of container L In addition to inlet hole 10, the container I is provided with guides 24 for seating the plate 23 of the filtration bag 22 made of air filtering paper. The rib of vacuum- cleaner cover 33 presses the gasket 7 against the outer flange of container 1 thus ensuring the tightness of the air flow system.

The air flow system in the vacuum cleaner with combined filter is as follows. Air is sucked with dust and larger debris and carries them along the suction hose, through its end piece, into the container 1, where the debris remain while the dust passes on, through one-way passing filter element 15 and through holes 2V in the dispersing element of the bottom 4 into canister 32. In the canister 32 the sucked air with dust becomes dispersed and, additionally, filtered when the canister contains water as a filtering medium. Then the air goes through strainer 1_3, lateral filtering element 14 and inlet hole into the lateral filtration chamber 2.

So cleaned, air passes then through the outlet hole 19 of the plate J_8 of the upper filtering assembly 5 and is directed to upper filtering element L2 situated in the upper filtering assembly 5 and further towards the suction unit.

Claims

1. The combined filter for vacuum cleaners, intended for cleaning of sucked air from dry and wet impurities, designed for tight installing in the vacuum-cleaner container and provided with an outlet hole with gasket, a cut-off float and a lateral filtering element with mounting plate, connected with the inlet of the suction unit located in the vacuum-cleaner motor compartment, whereas the combined filter has a container (1) and a lateral filtering chamber (2), said container (1) being closed from its underside with selectively passing bottom (4) whereas from its top said container (1) is closed tightly with the upper filtering assembly (5) which is connected tightly with the outlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber (2) mounted rigidly to the side wall of said container (1).

2. The combined filter according to Claim 1 wherein the upper filtering assembly (5) has a plate (18) which is seated on container (1) by means of a catch of hinge (26) and latch (25) and closes the container (1) tightly from the top with gasket (8) on the upper edge of said container (1) whereas on its upper side the plate (18) is connected with cover (17) by means of latch (16) and hinge element (l_6 , whereas the plate (18) has a hole (19) connected through gasket (19') with flange (J_l) of the outlet hole of the lateral filtering chamber (2) and the plate Q8) is provided with holder (20).

3. The combined filter according to Claim 2 whereas the bottom (4) is connected with container (1) by means of hinge (27) and latch (28), whereas the bottom (4) has a downward- projecting dispersing element with through holes (21).

4. The combined filter according to Claim 3 whereas the seat (31) of the bottom (4) contains a one-way passing filtering element (15) pressed against the bottom edge of the container (1).

5. The combined filter according to Claim 3 whereas the lateral filtering chamber (2) has a strainer (13) mounted in mounting frame (6) which closes the side inlet hole of said lateral filtering chamber (2).

6. The combined filter according to Claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 whereas the container (1) contains a paper filter (22).

7. The combined filter according to Claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 which has a gasket (9) seated on the upper surface of the cut-off float (3) facing the flange (H) of the outlet hole of the lateral filtering chamber (2).